Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a stomach disorder (ulcers) and found that all claims are well-grounded. The veteran's ulcers, hearing loss, COPD, and anxiety disorder are related to his treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis in service.

The Board found that the veteran's low back disorder warranted a 10% evaluation, but denied his claim for an increased rating. The issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is pending and requires further investigation.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that the veteran does not have a current inner ear disorder, manifested by hearing loss, tinnitus, and dizziness, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found no competent medical evidence linking the veteran's current hearing loss to his military service, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as they are not well-grounded.

The veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as the evidence does not support a finding that his current condition is related to service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under either the old or new VA regulations.

The Board found no evidence to support service connection for the veteran's claimed conditions, including frostbite of the left foot and hearing loss of the left ear. The claim for a higher rating for gastrectomy residuals was also denied.

The Board found no medical evidence linking the veteran's current hearing loss, tinnitus, or arthritis to his military service. The claims were denied as not well grounded.

The Board denied service connection for hearing loss and a left ear condition, finding no evidence of a nexus to active duty. The claim for tinnitus was also denied.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims of service connection for knee, hearing loss, and respiratory disabilities. The claim for a compensable rating for residuals of surgery to repair a right inguinal hernia is also denied.

The veteran's application to reopen the previously denied claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Board denied the reopening of the veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board denied service connection for osteoradionecrosis with loss of teeth, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The claim for pulmonary fibrosis was reopened but not granted.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss as secondary to his service-connected otitis externa, finding that there is no competent evidence linking the hearing loss to the otitis externa.

The Board has determined that the veteran's disequilibrium is proximately due to or the result of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss, and thus grants entitlement to service connection for this condition on a secondary basis.

The Board denied a compensable evaluation for the veteran's bilateral hearing loss, finding that his hearing impairment did not meet the criteria for any higher rating under VA's schedular guidelines.

The veteran's most recent VA examination for his bilateral hearing loss was conducted in July 1998. The RO has requested the veteran to provide information about any additional treatment records, particularly a report of an audiological evaluation by Dr. Mike Schultz submitted after the case was forwarded to the Board. The case is being remanded for further development including obtaining these records and arranging for a VA audiological evaluation.

The Board has granted service connection for hearing loss in the left ear and increased evaluations for right ear hearing loss, rupture of tympanic membrane, and residuals of a right eye injury. The claim seeking an increased evaluation for hearing loss in the left ear is reopened.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection and a 20 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss was granted by the RO, but the specific effective date remains unclear.