Vertigo & vestibular disorders decisions — 2008

The Board found that the veteran's hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has granted a disability rating of 100 percent for the veteran's service-connected Meniere's syndrome, finding that her symptoms more closely approximate those required for a 100 percent rating.

The VA granted service connection for the residuals of a head injury, including headaches and vertigo, with a 10 percent rating effective from February 20, 2000.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for vertigo, finding that there was no competent evidence linking his current diagnosis to his active military service or any service-connected disability.

The Board found that the veteran's dizziness and vertigo were not incurred in or aggravated by active service, and was not proximately due to or aggravated by service-connected hearing loss or tinnitus. As a result, the claim for service connection for dizziness and vertigo was denied.

The Board found that the veteran does not have Meniere's disease or headaches related to military service and denied both claims.

The Board has determined that the veteran's chronic bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and Meniere's syndrome disabilities were not incurred or aggravated during his military service. The VA examinations and medical records do not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Board denied service connection for vertigo and neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities due to Agent Orange exposure, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to military service. The petition to reopen a claim for bilateral hearing loss is addressed in the REMAND portion.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for migraine headaches and vertigo, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the veteran's Meniere's disease and vertigo are causally linked to service, warranting a grant of service connection.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for vertigo, finding that it is at least as likely as not related to his in-service acoustic trauma.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, bilateral tinnitus, and Meniere's syndrome. The veteran was not granted service connection for an anxiety disorder as secondary to the service-connected shell fragment wound to the right arm and wrist.,Service connection was denied because there is no medical evidence of a causal link between the claimed conditions and active duty service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of September 23, 2004, for the grant of service connection for Meniere's disease. The decision stated that the earliest effective date he could receive is September 23, 2004, as it was more than a year after his separation from military service.

The veteran's current diagnosis of vertigo was not present during his active duty and is not linked to his military service. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding that the veteran's vertigo is related to his time in the military, including any potential exposure to herbicides.

The appeal is remanded to the RO for a video conference hearing.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including residuals of a head injury and postural vertigo, are being remanded for additional development.

The appeal is remanded for additional development and a supplemental statement of the case.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, and granted a 100 percent rating for coronary artery disease (CAD) with hypertension effective February 14, 2006. The claims for service connection for adenocarcinoma of the prostate, ED, and vertigo were deferred due to a stay imposed by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

The appeal for service connection for a burn of the left hand was withdrawn, and the claims for service connection for an equilibrium disorder to include Meniere's disease and for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss were denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for dizziness (vertigo) as being proximately due to or the result of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.