Hearing loss Board decisions

The veteran's claimed conditions, including bilateral foot pain, right and left carpal tunnel syndrome, stomach ulcers, gastrointestinal reflux disease, erectile dysfunction, chronic sinusitis, lipomatous lesion of the left shoulder, benign prostatic hypertrophy, tinnitus, depressive disorder, and hypertension, have been evaluated. The veteran does not meet the criteria for a combined 100 percent schedular rating under the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities. Therefore, his claim for permanent and total disability rating for VA non-service-connected pension purposes has been denied.

The veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus were not received by VA prior to August 19, 2003.,The veteran's claim for restoration of a 10% rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied in the Board's August 2006 decision. The effective date of the reduction action should be corrected to December 31, 2004.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates were denied. The Board found that the earliest effective date for service connection was July 13, 1993, for PTSD.

The Board found that the veteran's currently diagnosed bilateral hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, nor may it be presumed to have been so incurred.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a head injury (claimed as 'crushed face'), sleep disorder, and hearing loss due to lack of current disability and medical nexus.,Service connection was previously granted for a deviated nasal septum and sinusitis.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss is attributable to acoustic trauma during active service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have hearing loss or tinnitus that is related to his military service, and thus denied both claims.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current disability of bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus that is related to service. The evidence shows no complaints, treatment, or diagnoses for these conditions during service and there is no medical opinion linking them to service.

The Board has remanded the case for a Travel Board hearing and further development.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss, finding that the veteran's current hearing loss is related to his military noise exposure and resolving reasonable doubt in his favor.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating, as his hearing impairment is currently rated at level IV in the left ear and level I in the right ear. The claim for an increased initial (compensable) rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's nasopharynx cancer, hearing loss, and tinnitus are not related to service or exposure to herbicides. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence submitted by the veteran, and additional development is required including obtaining service personnel records and scheduling an audiometric examination.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining service medical records and verifying any periods of active duty. The veteran's respiratory disability and hearing loss claims will be re-adjudicated after these steps are completed.

The veteran claims service connection for hearing loss, but the RO denied his claim. The Board finds that a VA examination is needed to determine if the veteran's current hearing loss disability is related to noise exposure during service.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and an initial rating for bilateral hearing loss due to incomplete development of records, need for further examination, and consideration of staged ratings.

The Board denied reopening the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence sufficient to reopen the veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability has been submitted. The RO previously denied this claim in August 1997, but the veteran is now petitioning to have his case reopened.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not begin in service or are related to his active duty. As a result, the claims for service connection have been denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an initial (compensable) rating for bilateral hearing loss, service connection for tinnitus as secondary to service-connected bilateral hearing loss, and service connection for a disability manifested by dizziness with occasional staggering. The RO assigned a zero percent rating for the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss since February 16, 2005.