Vertigo & vestibular disorders decisions — 2007

The Board denied compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for the veteran's claimed conditions, finding that there was no additional disability due to VA care and treatment.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss do not warrant increased ratings. The claim for service connection for vertigo is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability causally related to service.

The Board denied service connection for a sinus condition and Meniere's disease, finding that the veteran did not have these conditions during his active duty or due to service. The VA examinations indicated no current disability related to service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and chronic vertigo, finding that the veteran's conditions were not incurred in or aggravated by his active service.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting VA examinations.

The veteran's prostatic hypertrophy with urinary incontinence and vertigo were not incurred or aggravated by active military service, and are not secondary to any service-connected disability.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for vertigo, bilateral knee disability, and gastrointestinal disorder (stomach cramps). The decision found no evidence of a current disability related to active or reserve service.

The Board found that the veteran's Meniere's syndrome and psychiatric disorders were not incurred or aggravated by service, nor are they related to his service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for recurrent positional vertigo of vestibular origin, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus were denied as there is no legal basis to assign a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied as there is no verified stressor. The veteran's representative asserts that she has Meniere's Disease with vertigo caused or aggravated by her service-connected tinnitus.

The veteran's appeal of the claim for a higher initial evaluation for bilateral tinnitus has been withdrawn. The case is being remanded to further develop evidence regarding his claim for service connection for vertigo.

The Board granted a separate 30 percent rating for benign positional vertigo and labyrinthitis, effective from the date of the decision. The veteran's PTSD was rated at 10 percent since June 17, 2004.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a back condition and Meniere's syndrome, finding that there was no evidence to support these conditions as being related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed inner ear conditions, including hearing loss and tinnitus, were not incurred in service or are not related to a service-connected disability. The claim for vertigo/balance problems was also denied.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 20% effective May 4, 2006.,Service connection for dizziness was denied as there is no medical evidence linking the condition to service or a service-connected disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional evidence from Social Security Administration regarding the veteran's disability benefits.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and for a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected hip conditions, as well as any current vertigo. The claims will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Board has granted a 30 percent rating for chronic vertigo, effective from February 2002. The veteran's bilateral hearing loss is already service-connected and not at issue in this decision.

The veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, conversion reaction, vertigo, myalgia, bronchial asthma, sinusitis, and gastritis are all denied as there is no competent evidence of current disabilities or a link to service.

The Board finds that the veteran's Meniere's disease causes dizziness and loss of balance more than four times per month, with hearing loss and tinnitus. Therefore, a 100 percent disability rating is granted.