Vertigo & vestibular disorders decisions — 2012

The Veteran withdrew his appeal prior to the Board issuing a decision.

The Board found that the Veteran's vertigo was not incurred or aggravated by his military service, including during a decompression wave from an atmospheric nuclear weapon test in 1962. The claim for direct service connection was denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's vertigo did not manifest during service or within one year of separation, and there is no evidence linking it to any service-connected disability. The most recent VA examination concluded that the vertigo was less likely than not caused by or a result of hearing loss.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, a respiratory disability (claimed as asthma), residuals of a head injury, vertigo, chronic fatigue syndrome, recurrent dermatitis, and hysterectomy residuals. The reasons provided include lack of evidence supporting these conditions during or after service.

The Board found that the Veteran's vertigo was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service.

The Veteran's vertigo is related to his service-connected hypertension.,There is no evidence of tingling in the left arm during or after service, and it is not linked to any service-connected condition.

The Board has remanded the case for a supplemental medical opinion from the VA examiner to address whether the Veteran's vertigo and dizziness are caused or aggravated by his service-connected hearing loss, and if so, to quantify any additional disability resulting from such aggravation. The RO/AMC will then readjudicate the claim based on this new information.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection for vertigo, finding no evidence of current disability or a causal relationship to his service-connected conditions.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to verify the Veteran's service dates and obtain pertinent treatment records. The Veteran should be scheduled for VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of her claimed conditions, including uterine fibroids with dysmenorrhea resulting in a total abdominal hysterectomy, depression, degenerative joint disease of the left foot, and vertigo.

The Veteran's Meniere's syndrome was rated at 60 percent prior to April 23, 2010. After that date, the rating was increased to 100 percent.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development regarding herbicide exposure in Thailand and obtaining medical opinions on the cause of death.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus with vertigo were not shown to have originated during service or for many years thereafter, and are not related to any event that occurred during military service.,While the Veteran was given spectacles during service due to an apparent refractive error, neither chronic residuals of an eye injury nor an acquired chronic disability of the eyes are shown at any time.

The Board found that the Veteran's vertigo and psychiatric disorder were not incurred in or aggravated by service, nor proximately due to a service-connected disability. Therefore, these claims are denied.

The Veteran's hypertension is not established as incurred in or aggravated by service. Service connection for gastritis and vertigo are granted, with gastritis being secondary to a service-connected disability.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and Social Security Administration (SSA) disability benefits records. The Veteran's claims will be reconsidered after any additional evidence is considered.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA medical examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed vertigo, including whether it is related to in-service noise exposure or secondary to his service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy, erectile dysfunction, vertigo with dizziness and nausea, and a chronic acquired psychiatric disorder (to include depression or chronic psychosis). The evidence does not show that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination to determine if the Veteran has a cerebellar gait related to his Meniere's syndrome and for an audiological evaluation. The claim will be adjudicated again after these actions are completed.

The Board found that a vestibular disorder, including Meniere's disease and other related conditions, did not manifest until many years after service and is not related to any event during service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for benign positional vertigo and payment of compensation for tinnitus prior to May 12, 2007 are being remanded due to the need for additional development.