Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and granted it, finding that his pre-existing right ear hearing loss was aggravated during service and attributing left ear hearing loss to a blast injury sustained in service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus are causally related to his exposure to acoustic trauma during military service, and thus grants these claims.

The veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was granted with a 100% disability rating effective July 11, 2000. The June and November 1997 decisions denying service connection were found to have been incorrect due to new evidence.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active military service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's claims of service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus. The appeal is granted.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected left ear hearing loss is remanded to the RO due to its inextricability with his claim of entitlement to service connection for right ear hearing loss.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral high frequency hearing loss, lower left leg disability, and chronic skin condition due to herbicide exposure. The decisions were based on a lack of evidence showing these conditions in service or within the relevant presumptive period.

The Board denied a compensable rating for right ear hearing loss and did not address the earlier effective date claim.

The Board denied the veteran's attempts to reopen her claims for service connection for hearing loss, hemorrhoids, and fibrocystic breast disease due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board denied service connection for hearing loss and seizures, but granted service connection for tinnitus.

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

The Board has remanded the case due to new legal requirements under the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000, and additional development is needed including obtaining medical records, arranging for examinations, and issuing a statement of the case.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for migraine headaches and hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a diagnosed disability in either case.

The Board found that the veteran's hearing loss is at levels consistent with a 0 percent rating under the VA rating schedule, and therefore denied his claim for an increased disability rating.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for a heart condition, to include hypertension, and granted it. The issues of service connection for other conditions are also addressed.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, PTSD, and a heart disorder. The Board found that the veteran does not have right ear hearing loss by VA standards and his left ear hearing loss is not related to his period of active service. His heart disorder is also not related to his period of active service or his service-connected depressive neurosis.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable disability rating under either the old or new VA rating criteria.

The veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The issue of evaluating his bilateral hearing loss, currently rated at 10%, is dismissed.

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

The veteran seeks an earlier effective date for service connection and benefits related to his military service, including PTSD, gunshot wound residuals, hearing loss, vitamin B-12 deficiency, and GERD. The Board found no evidence of a formal or informal claim prior to August 30, 1999.