Vertigo & vestibular disorders decisions — 2014

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain additional opinions regarding the Veteran's claim for service connection for dizziness and falling, claimed as vertigo. The claims are currently being reviewed.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and Meniere's disease (claimed as vertigo/loss of balance). The Veteran's other claims, including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, an acquired psychiatric disorder, a back disorder, and residuals of a ruptured appendix, are pending further development or remand.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for vertigo and a skin disorder, finding that there was no evidence of a disease or injury in-service or any link to Agent Orange exposure. The Veteran's vertigo is attributed to a closed-head injury after service.

The Veteran's dizziness disorder is being remanded for further examination and to determine if it is related to his service-connected conditions, including degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, right cervical radiculopathy, chronic pansinusitis, tinnitus, and right ear hearing loss. The claim will also be reviewed for secondary service connection due to pansinusitis and tinnitus.

The Veteran's skin disability, chronic fatigue syndrome, vertigo, and a joint pain condition are being remanded for further development to determine their etiology.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a video conference hearing at the earliest available opportunity. The issues of service connection for glaucoma, peripheral neuropathy, posttraumatic vertigo including as secondary to hydrocephalus, and hydrocephalus are pending.

The Veteran is service connected for Meniere's disease, bilateral hearing loss associated with Meniere's disease and tinnitus associated with Meniere's disease. The RO has assigned a combined disability rating of 60 percent. As the Veteran's service-connected disabilities all stem from a common etiology, the 60 percent combined rating meets the schedular criteria for assignment of a TDIU.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, vertigo, left hip disability, and an acquired psychiatric disorder were denied as there is no competent evidence of a current diagnosis or in-service incurrence of these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's migraine headaches are rated at 30 percent, his vertigo is rated at 30 percent, and his bilateral pes planus with left heel spur is rated as noncompensable. The appeal is granted for the migraine headaches and vertigo issues.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining addendum opinions from private treating physicians and a VA examiner. The Veteran's claims will be reconsidered based on the additional evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection, increased ratings, and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development including obtaining medical opinions on his vertigo/lightheadedness and hearing loss/tinnitus.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted effective from October 20, 2002 due to his service-connected disabilities. The effective date was determined based on the earliest date of receipt of a claim for service connection.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including obtaining an addendum medical opinion from a VA examiner regarding whether the Veteran's vertigo is related to his service-connected tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's Meniere's disease is found to be aggravated by his service-connected TBI. His hearing loss and tinnitus are currently rated at the minimum (10%) level.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed for the issues of entitlement to service connection for a bilateral ankle disorder and vertigo and cephalgia due to withdrawal by the Veteran.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than August 11, 1994 for the grant of service connection for Meniere's disease as there was no pending claim before that date.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for vertigo is being remanded due to the failure of a scheduled VA examination. The examiner will be asked to provide an opinion regarding whether the Veteran's vertigo had its clinical onset during, or is otherwise related to, his active military service.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and granted it, finding that there is an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence to support a link between the Veteran's noise exposure in service and his current bilateral hearing loss. The issue of service connection for Meniere's syndrome was withdrawn by the Veteran's representative.

The Board has granted an effective date of July 31, 1991 for the grant of service connection and a 100% rating for vertigo. The earlier effective date claim is denied.