Hearing loss Board decisions

The VA denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and degenerative joint disease of the left wrist, finding that there was no current disability meeting VA compensation criteria for either condition.

The veteran is seeking compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for additional disability resulting from a May 2000 VA surgery, but the RO needs to obtain and review all relevant medical records and schedule an examination to determine if there is any additional disability due to the VA surgery.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current right ear hearing loss disability began during his active military service due to noise exposure, and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board found that the veteran does not have current hearing loss, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, or headache disability as claimed. The evidence did not support service connection for any of these conditions.

The veteran's claims for service connection for diabetic retinopathy, tinnitus, hearing loss, vertigo, arthritis of the right elbow, and hypertension were all denied. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to active service.

The Board found that the veteran's claimed disabilities were not incurred or aggravated by service and denied his claims for service connection.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for his service-connected bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, finding that a noncompensable rating was appropriate based on the audiometric findings.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for SMP based on the need for A&A or housebound status, finding that he did not meet the criteria for either benefit. The issue of reducing his income for pension purposes was remanded to the RO.

The VA determined that the veteran's hearing loss did not warrant a compensable rating prior to December 6, 2000 and denied any increase in rating for his bilateral hearing loss disability from May 8, 2000.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that neither condition warranted a compensable evaluation under VA rating criteria.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence to support these conditions as being incurred during or related to military service.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to his active duty service, resulting in a grant of service connection for both conditions.

The veteran's appeal is remanded for a more current VA audiology examination to determine the severity of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss. The case should be readjudicated and, if appropriate, staged ratings considered.

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

The Board denied the veteran's claims for a compensable rating for hearing loss in the left ear and service connection for tinnitus of the left ear. The evidence did not show that tinnitus began during or was caused by service.

The veteran's service-connected tinnitus was granted a 10% evaluation, but his right ear hearing loss remains non-compensably disabling.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA records related to the veteran's hearing aids and scheduling a VA examination for his knee disability. The appeal will be reconsidered after these actions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his exposure to loud noise during active military service, granting service connection for these conditions.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and pilonidal cyst, finding no evidence of in-service injury or disease that could be linked to these conditions.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for major depression was denied, as the earliest ascertainable increase in disability occurred on June 3, 2002. The TDIU claim was granted with an effective date of October 23, 2002.,An effective date prior to June 3, 2002 for service connection for major depression is not warranted due to the regulations governing secondary service connection. An earlier effective date for TDIU based on hearing loss disability was granted.