Vertigo & vestibular disorders decisions — 2007

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disorder and an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for Meniere's syndrome, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active military service. The claim for entitlement to a total rating for compensation purposes based upon individual unemployability was also denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have Meniere's disease and that his vertigo is manifested by occasional dizziness. Therefore, service connection for Meniere's disease cannot be granted, and a higher evaluation for vertigo remains denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a currently diagnosed bilateral hand disability, skin condition, sinusitis or vertigo. As such, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The VA determined that the appellant is not in need of regular aid and attendance or substantially confined to her home, thus denying her claim for special monthly death pension.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to schedule a Board videoconference hearing at the RO in Nashville, TN. The case will be readjudicated after this.

The veteran's current dizziness and vertigo are not considered to be caused by the November 1975 VA surgery for his right ear hearing loss.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions have been denied. However, his claim for anxiety neurosis was reopened and granted, as were the claims for vertigo resulting in loss of balance with broken bones and arthritis.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for benign positional vertigo and headaches, but denied reopening of his claim for service connection for benign positional vertigo. The veteran's claim for service connection for headaches is remanded to obtain a VA examination to determine the etiology of his headaches.

The Board denied service connection for head injury residuals and bilateral broken hips, finding that the evidence did not support a link between these conditions and military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD is related to his in-service experiences and grants service connection for this condition. The issue of whether positional vertigo is secondary to service-connected bilateral hearing loss remains under further review.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for a compensable disability evaluation for bilateral hearing loss, and did not reopen his claims for service connection for hypertension and vertigo due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus and vertigo and balance problems, including Meniere's syndrome, were not incurred or aggravated in service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for left ear hearing loss, eustachian tube dysfunction, and allergic rhinitis and sinusitis. The evaluations assigned were found to be appropriate based on the medical evidence provided.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for blurred vision and positional vertigo, finding that there is no evidence of a chronic disease process manifested by blurred vision or any current diagnosis related to military service. The claim for positional vertigo was also denied due to lack of continuity of symptomatology.

The veteran's claims for service connection for Meniere's disease and an initial rating in excess of 40 percent for right shoulder impingement syndrome prior to March 6, 2002 were denied. The claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for the same condition from March 6, 2002 onwards was also denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of Meniere's disease with endolymphatic hydrops, bilateral defective hearing and tinnitus. The appeal is dismissed as the law precludes assignment of such a benefit.

The Board has granted a rating of 20 percent for the veteran's low back strain and degenerative arthritis, effective March 31, 2005. The initial compensable rating for left plantar warts was also granted. However, the claim for service connection for Meniere's syndrome remains pending as it is not addressed in this decision.

The veteran's benign positional vertigo and cluster headaches were not incurred in service, nor are they related to his service-connected hearing loss or tinnitus.,There is no evidence of a relationship between the veteran's exposure to herbicides and his claimed conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's vertigo was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service, and it is not proximately due to or the result of his service-connected hearing loss or tinnitus; nor may it be presumed to have been incurred in service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed disabilities, including right ankle disorder, left ankle disorder, right knee disorder, low back disorder, right shoulder disorder, left shoulder disorder, migraine headaches, tinnitus, and a disability manifested by vertigo, were not incurred or aggravated during his period of active duty service. The evidence does not support a finding that any of these conditions are related to service.