Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board denied a higher initial rating for the veteran's bilateral hearing loss, finding that his current hearing acuity does not warrant any compensation.

The Board has determined that the effective date for service connection of residuals of a lumbosacral microdiskectomy, with recurrent back pain and numbness of the right foot, and bilateral hearing loss should be July 1, 1999. The veteran's claims for increased evaluations are remanded to allow for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and assigned a 10% rating effective from August 21, 2000. The veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for right ear hearing loss was also granted. However, the decision did not address or grant service connection for left ear hearing loss.

The Board denied the appellant's request for an earlier effective date of June 1, 1999, for DIC benefits granted in her reopened claim. The appeal was based on a liberalizing law that became effective in 1993 and assigned an effective date more than one year after its enactment.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss, finding that his current hearing impairment does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for effective dates earlier than July 10, 1998 for service connection for tinnitus and a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss. The RO granted an increased rating of 20 percent for his bilateral hearing loss as of June 10, 1999.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable rating before November 27, 2002 and grants a 10% disability rating for his bilateral hearing loss as of November 27, 2002.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating for left shoulder dislocation with impingement syndrome and a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that service connection is not warranted for right ear hearing loss, residuals of fragment wounds to the right index finger and left neck due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss is service-connected, as it was incurred during his active military service.

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

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss as there is no evidence of a current disability.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is likely related to his noise exposure during military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran's currently manifested bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his noise exposure during his military service, leading to a grant of service connection for both conditions.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The Board found that no informal claim was submitted prior to December 28, 1993.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, bilateral tinnitus, and emphysema. The claim for a permanent and total disability rating for non-service-connected pension purposes was not adjudicated.

The veteran's death was not caused by his own willful misconduct, but he did not meet the criteria for DIC benefits under section 1318 as he was not rated totally disabled for a continuous period of at least 10 years prior to his death.

The veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or its onset during service.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for clarification of the veteran's hearing request and scheduling an appropriate hearing.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left ear hearing loss is service-connected, but his PTSD claim cannot be granted as there is no verified in-service stressor. The right ear hearing loss claim was denied due to lack of new and material evidence.