Hearing loss Board decisions

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for hearing loss was granted, with a rating assigned and effective from November 27, 2000. The claim for an initial compensable evaluation for hearing loss was denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for PTSD, high frequency hearing loss, diabetes mellitus, and residuals of prostate cancer. The veteran's service-connected degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine, left shoulder, and right knee were not found to be related to his active duty service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including a thoracic spine disability, cervical spine disability, bilateral knee disability, right hand disability, and bilateral hearing loss disability (including tinnitus). The appeals were not about service connection at all.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death and entitlement to dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) as there is no evidence that the veteran's service-connected disabilities contributed to his death.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a back disability, a left leg disability, and a left foot disability due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to the veteran's military service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims of service connection for a bilateral hip disability and hearing loss, including as due to medication. The evidence does not establish an in-service injury or disease that caused these conditions.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current hearing loss is related to noise exposure during active service, and therefore grants his claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The veteran's tinnitus and left ear hearing loss are rated at the maximum allowed under VA regulations, with no additional compensation granted.

The veteran's claim for a compensable rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss has been denied as his hearing impairment does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability as defined by VA regulations, and therefore service connection for hearing loss is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a qualifying diagnosis of PTSD and there is insufficient evidence to verify an in-service stressor. The veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are also not established as service-connected.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a right shoulder injury, an increased evaluation for hearing loss, and an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for PTSD. The veteran's hearing loss was rated as noncompensable due to his audiometric results not meeting criteria for a compensable rating. His PTSD was rated at the lowest available level (30%) based on symptoms that did not meet higher levels of impairment.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable evaluation, as his pure tone threshold average and speech recognition scores do not meet the criteria for a higher rating under VA's Schedule for Rating Disabilities.

The Board has determined that a new VA examination is needed to assess the current severity of the veteran's bilateral hearing loss, as the most recent medical evidence is over four years old and from more than five years ago.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a service-connected disability for his left eye, right ear hearing loss, thrombocytosis, or pharyngitis. The veteran's vision and hearing issues are attributed to refractive error and exposure to infectious diseases during service, respectively.

The Board has determined that the veteran's cause of death was not incurred in or aggravated by service, nor as a result of a service-connected disability.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral knee disorder, back disorder, and right ear hearing loss. Service connection was granted for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus.

The veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and PTSD has been dismissed due to his death.

The veteran disagrees with the initial noncompensable disability rating for his bilateral hearing loss and believes it should be higher. The VA has not obtained all relevant medical records, including a letter from Dr. Michael Zoller.