Vertigo & vestibular disorders decisions — 2004

The Board has reopened the claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to new and material evidence submitted since the April 1976 rating decision. The issue of service connection for tinnitus and vertigo is remanded.

The veteran's claims for service connection for benign positional vertigo and headaches were previously denied. The Board has remanded the case back to the RO for further development, including scheduling a Travel Board hearing.

The veteran is seeking service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and vestibular symptoms with dizziness. The claim will be remanded to obtain additional medical records and seek clarification from the VA examiner.

The veteran withdrew his appeals for the issues of service connection for a prostate disorder, vertigo, and bilateral hearing loss prior to the Board's decision.

The Board found that the veteran's Meniere's disease did not warrant a disability rating greater than 30 percent, as his symptoms were less frequent and severe compared to what would be required for higher ratings.

The veteran seeks service connection for a depressive disorder, secondary to his service-connected tinnitus. The Board is remanding the case for further development and review.

The Board has determined that the veteran's vertigo is secondary to his service-connected chronic right maxillary sinusitis and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and a 10 percent evaluation for bilateral hearing loss. The claims of reopening the previously denied claims for Meniere's disease and a back disorder are remanded to the RO.

The veteran's claim for service connection for a disability manifested by dizziness is being remanded due to inconsistencies in medical history and the VA examiner's failure to provide an opinion on the etiology of Meniere's disease.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the award of a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability, finding that the veteran's unemployability due to service-connected disabilities occurred as of September 19, 1994.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims of service connection for tinnitus, vertigo, and myofascial pain due to a lack of current disability evidence. The case is returned to the RO for further action.

The veteran's peripheral vestibular disorder, claimed as vertigo with dizziness and staggering, is manifested by occasional dizziness and staggering. The Board has granted a rating of 30 percent effective from June 13, 1994.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of service connection for a disability manifested by dizziness and vertigo due to new evidence submitted since the August 1991 decision, which includes medical records indicating her condition is related to TMJ dysfunction and migraines.

The RO has granted a 10 percent disability evaluation for hypertension, effective February 2, 1998. The veteran's claims for service connection for diplopia with retained foreign bodies in the left eye and vertigo have been denied as new and material evidence was not submitted.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for balance problems (diagnosed as peripheral neuropathy and Meniere's syndrome) and weakness, fatigue, and memory loss. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to his military service.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting a VA examination to determine if the veteran has Meniere's disease related to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection for Meniere's disease, finding that no new and material evidence had been submitted.