Hearing loss Board decisions

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of a bilateral hearing loss disability was granted, but he is not entitled to a compensable evaluation prior to November 2, 2001.

The VA granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and assigned a 30 percent rating effective from October 19, 2001. The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation was denied.

The Board has ordered a search for VA medical records from the 1950s related to hearing loss. The case is being remanded due to incomplete compliance with previous directives.

The VA has determined that the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable rating.

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

The Board denied service connection for COPD, hearing loss, and refractive error. The veteran's claims were not supported by competent evidence of a nexus to military service.

The Board denied a compensable rating for the veteran's left ear hearing loss, finding that his right ear hearing impairment did not meet disability criteria and that he had no higher than level VII hearing acuity in his service-connected left ear. The case was remanded due to VCAA compliance issues.

The veteran's claims for initial compensable disability ratings for bilateral hearing loss and status post, left shoulder injury are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of new evidence.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hearing loss does not warrant a compensable evaluation, and thus denied his claim for an increased rating.

The veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss was denied.,Evidence submitted since the November 1996 rating decision did not provide new and material evidence to reopen his claim for service connection for a bilateral knee disability.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his request for a personal hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the RO in Huntington, West Virginia.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for a new examination regarding irritable bowel syndrome and to issue a Statement of the Case on whether new and material evidence was received to reopen claims for service connection for various conditions. The veteran's representative appealed all issues listed in the November 2002 Supplemental Statement of the Case.

The Board has granted a 40 percent rating for left ear hearing loss disability and a uniform 30 percent rating for bronchial asthma, effective from the date of the change in law (December 6, 2002). The higher ratings are not warranted as the appellant's pulmonary function tests do not meet criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss began during his active service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board found that the veteran's right ear hearing loss was not incurred or aggravated by active service and denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for further development, including obtaining his service personnel records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted, with the conditions meeting the criteria for direct service connection.

Service connection is granted for post-traumatic arthritis of C3 and C4, but denied for degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine. Service connection is also granted for arthritis of both knees, but hearing loss of the right ear remains denied.,The veteran's traumatic arthritis of the cervical spine is linked to an injury sustained while on active duty.

The Board found no evidence of a current disability for any of the conditions and concluded that service connection was not warranted.