Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for high cholesterol and entitlement to a compensable evaluation for prostatism. The claim for increased rating of left ear hearing loss is granted, but at noncompensable level.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim for service connection for a right ear disability, to include hearing loss, is denied as not well grounded due to lack of competent medical evidence of current disability and a causal link to military service.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss was incurred in service due to noise exposure during his active duty for training and inactive duty training. Therefore, service connection is granted.

The veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss was not well grounded, and his PTSD rating was granted at a 10 percent level.

The Board denied a compensable evaluation for the veteran's bilateral hearing loss, finding that his hearing levels did not meet criteria for an increased rating under either the previous or amended regulations.

The Board denied a compensable evaluation for the veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability, finding that the evidence did not warrant such an award.

The Board has determined that service connection is warranted for bilateral hearing loss and COPD, including bronchitis. The veteran's current disabilities are found to be related to his in-service exposure to weapons-related acoustic trauma and smoking.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected postoperative otitis media, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus do not warrant increased disability ratings as they are currently evaluated.

The veteran's claims for higher disability evaluations and service connection were denied. The appeals are addressed in the remand portion of this decision.

The veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of frostbite of the feet and bilateral hearing loss is granted. The claim for a higher rating for PTSD remains pending.

The veteran's appeal for an increased disability rating for his bilateral hearing loss disability is denied as the current evaluation of 10% aligns with the criteria in effect at the time of the decision.

The Board has determined that the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and chronic headaches are not well-grounded because there is no medical evidence showing current disabilities or a relationship to service.

The Board has ordered the VA to obtain additional medical records and conduct a VA examination for the veteran's hearing loss claim. The case will be remanded for further development.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected conditions were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for lumbosacral disc and joint disease, a 10 percent rating for cervical spine degenerative disc disease, or any other condition.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, otitis media with mastoidectomy, and tinnitus as there is no evidence of additional disability warranting a higher rating under VA regulations.

The veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss is due to in-service noise exposure and has been granted service connection.

The Board found that the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and headaches were not well-grounded due to lack of medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

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

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and hemorrhoids, but granted his claim for a noncompensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss with an effective date of July 18, 1997 for tinnitus.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities are of such severity as to preclude him from obtaining and retaining all forms of substantially gainful employment, warranting a total rating for compensation purposes based upon individual unemployability.