Vertigo & vestibular disorders decisions — 2000

The Board denied eligibility for payment of attorney fees resulting from the grant of an increased rating to 100 percent for vertigo due to inner ear dysfunction with hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has reopened the claim and determined that new evidence supports a finding of service connection for Meniere's disease.

The veteran's multiple service-connected disabilities, including Crohn's disease and organic personality syndrome, prevent him from successfully pursuing vocational rehabilitation and becoming gainfully employed.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hearing loss, tinnitus, and Meniere's disease are service-connected based on direct evidence of their onset during active duty.

The Board found no evidence of a nexus between the appellant's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus with vertigo and his period of active duty for training, thus denying service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for Meniere's disease, finding that his symptoms did not warrant a higher evaluation.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral plantar warts and compensable rating for hemorrhoids, as well as his service connection claims for nerve damage to the hands and wrists (claimed as carpal tunnel syndrome), dizziness (claimed as vertigo and a black-out seizure disorder), and headaches. The clothing allowance claim was denied.

The Board has granted service connection for adjustment disorder with depression, but denied the claim for evaluation of bilateral hearing loss and did not address the reopening of the Meniere's disease claim.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for headaches, dizziness and vertigo as there was no medical evidence showing a current disability or linking any symptomatology to military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for Meniere's disease and an increased evaluation for otitis externa, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates for service connection for bilateral defective hearing and vertigo have been granted by the RO.

The Board denied the claims for service connection for Meniere's disease, an original rating in excess of 30 percent for post-traumatic stress disorder, and an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for a low back disability. The RO is instructed to readjudicate these issues with consideration of additional evidence.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss is denied, and his claim for service connection for Meniere's Syndrome as secondary to service-connected bilateral hearing loss is well-grounded.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims are well-grounded for chronic fatigue, memory loss, and a psychiatric disability. However, service connection is denied for gastrointestinal and respiratory disabilities due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to military service or an undiagnosed illness.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for service connection for Meniere's disease, secondary to his service-connected tinnitus. The decision states there is no medical evidence linking the veteran's currently diagnosed Meniere's disease to his service-connected tinnitus.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for his service-connected vestibular neuronitis, currently rated at 10 percent.

The Board found the veteran's claim not well grounded as there is no evidence of a chronic psychiatric disability during service and no nexus between current conditions and service.

The Board has determined that the claim of entitlement to service connection for dizziness and vertigo as secondary to otitis media is not well grounded. The veteran's hearing loss, while noted, does not meet the criteria for an initial compensable evaluation. For the period from May 12, 1992 to June 9, 1999, the veteran did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral otitis media and tinnitus. Since June 10, 1999, the veteran's claims for increased evaluations were denied.

The veteran's claim for service connection for his symptoms due to an undiagnosed illness is being remanded for additional development, including a hematologic examination and clarification of the relationship between chronic fatigue syndrome and the veteran's claimed conditions.