Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has dismissed the appeals as the veteran did not file a timely substantive appeal on these issues.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have current bilateral hearing loss or a left ankle disability that is related to service.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals denied a compensable evaluation for the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss, finding that the results did not meet the criteria for an increased rating.

The Board denied the veteran's request to reopen his claim of service connection for hearing loss, finding that the new evidence submitted did not show a link between his current hearing loss and his military service.

The VA has determined that the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable rating, as his current average pure tone threshold levels do not meet the criteria for any higher evaluation.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hearing loss was not incurred or aggravated in service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is due to, or resulted from, inservice acoustic trauma and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an initial compensable evaluation for bilateral defective hearing, finding that his current hearing loss does not warrant a higher rating based on VA examination results.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence to support an earlier date than March 27, 1998 for hearing loss or March 27, 1997 for tinnitus.,The decision also noted that the veteran's claims were denied in a February 1981 rating decision and did not reopen until March 1998.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for further development and consideration of his claims, including review of revised rating criteria.

The Board has found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active duty service. However, the Board has determined that there is no evidence linking current back, neck, or shoulder disabilities to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of service connection for hearing loss in the right ear, finding no evidence linking his current condition to service or any incident therein. The left ear hearing loss was found to be related to service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for a temporary total disability rating due to hospitalization for a nonservice-connected condition, as service connection was not established after admission and treatment for a service-connected hearing loss did not continue for more than 21 days.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to new and material evidence submitted since the last final denial. The current evidence supports a finding that the veteran currently suffers from a bilateral hearing loss disability, which is attributed to acoustic trauma during active combat service.

The veteran argues that his left ear hearing loss was factually established at separation from service and by a VA examination in December 1957. He seeks an earlier effective date for the award of service connection.

The Board has granted increased ratings for the service-connected PTSD and bilateral hearing loss, but denied service connection for a prostate disability and denied an increased rating for perforated tympanic membranes. The issue of whether new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim for entitlement to service connection for a right shoulder disability is pending.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and otitis media do not warrant a compensable evaluation at any point during the pendency of his claim.

The VA has denied a compensable evaluation for the veteran's bilateral hearing loss as the evidence does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable VA regulations.

The Board found that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is not related to active service and denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for bilateral hearing loss prior to June 1, 2001 was denied as the evidence did not show that his disability had worsened prior to that date.