Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and service personnel records. The claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are also being remanded.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right ear hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected, but has granted service connection for tinnitus due to continuity of symptoms since military service.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating or higher disability ratings for various conditions, including PTSD, COPD, and hearing loss.

The Board has remanded both issues on appeal for further development, including obtaining additional evidence and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board found no evidence of a right knee disorder, bilateral hearing loss, or an acquired psychiatric disorder that is causally related to the veteran's military service.,VA records show treatment for various injuries over many years post-service, including DJD of the right knee and recurrent depression attributed to pain from previous injuries.

The Board has determined that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the veteran's currently diagnosed hearing loss is etiologically related to his military service, and thus grants the claim for service connection.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and cardiovascular condition due to lack of new and material evidence for the psychiatric claim, absence of evidence linking these conditions to service, and no evidence showing that the cardiovascular condition is related to service.

The VA denied the veteran's claims of service connection for tinnitus and an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by active military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss must be remanded for further development, and the claims for residuals of left leg injury, PTSD, and tinnitus are also being remanded. The case will be returned to the Board after these issues have been addressed.

The Board has determined that an earlier effective date of June 28, 2001 is warranted for the award of NSC pension due to the existence of disabling conditions at that time.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have current disabilities of bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, or a disability manifested by flat feet related to service. The claims for increased ratings are also denied.

The Board found no evidence of hearing loss at separation and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. For the left hip disability, the Board determined that there was no relationship between the current condition and military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, and therefore denied both claims.

The Board found that the veteran does not have a hearing loss disability of either ear by VA standards and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was found to be noncompensable, and the issues of service connection for an equilibrium disorder secondary to his hearing loss and asbestos exposure were also denied.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected otitis media, perforation of the tympanic membranes, and bilateral hearing loss have been denied as there is no evidence to support higher ratings under applicable VA rating criteria.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis, bilateral hearing loss, and a seizure disorder. The appeals were also denied for an initial disability rating for residuals of a right ankle sprain, status post corneal abrasion of the right eye, and tinnitus.

The Board dismissed the appeal because the veteran did not timely file a substantive appeal with regard to the rating decisions in August 2000 and November 2000, denying claims of service connection for a skin disorder, hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The veteran's initial compensable rating for left ear hearing loss is denied.