Vertigo & vestibular disorders decisions — 2016

The Veteran's claim for service connection for depression has been granted. The Board finds that her current depression disability may be related to her military experiences, including witnessing injuries and deaths during the Persian Gulf War.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back disability, vertigo, and bilateral cataracts due to exposure to herbicides in Vietnam. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected vertigo/dizziness, status-post right ear surgeries for chelesteatoma is not manifested by an exceptional or unusual disability picture with marked interference with employment or frequent periods of hospitalization. The criteria have not been met for an initial increased disability rating greater than 30 percent on an extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include depressive and anxiety disorders, was reopened on June 22, 2009, and granted effective that date.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The Board previously granted service connection for Meniere's syndrome, which includes symptoms of hearing impairment and attacks of vertigo occurring more than once weekly.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's current diagnoses of vertigo and paralysis of the seventh cranial nerve are etiologically related to his active service, specifically to a left ear cholesteatoma that developed during his service. The preponderance of evidence supports this finding.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for anxiety, bilateral hearing loss, and vertigo. The claim for service connection for anxiety was denied as there is no diagnosed condition separate from his already service-connected cognitive impairment or dementia due to Parkinson's disease. The claim for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no currently diagnosed disability. The claim for vertigo remains pending.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the etiology of his vertigo.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear Meniere's disease with hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as a chronic disability involving the cervical spine. The evidence did not support an in-service onset of these conditions.

The Veteran's disability compensation was restored, and the overpayment of severance pay is being recouped through monthly deductions.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for otitis media, vertigo, viral syndrome, and bilateral hearing loss as manifestations of an undiagnosed illness. However, no new evidence was provided to support these claims.

The Veteran was granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus and denied service connection for ear syndrome (Meniere's disease). The Board found that the evidence supported a finding of in-service noise exposure leading to current bilateral tinnitus, but did not address the issue of Meniere's disease.

The Veteran's vertigo, to include a cerebellar gait, is due to his service-connected type II diabetes mellitus. The claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for cardiovascular disease has been denied.

PTSD with depression and TBI with vertigo were rated at 70 percent prior to October 31, 2012.,PTSD with depression and TBI with vertigo were rated at 70 percent from October 31, 2012 to November 30, 2014, and 100 percent thereafter.,PTSD with depression and TBI with vertigo caused total occupational and social impairment, rendering the Veteran unemployable.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for peripheral vestibular disorder, vertigo, and Meniere's syndrome, which he claims are related to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability and/or tinnitus. The Board has decided that a remand is necessary to obtain additional medical evidence and determine the nature and etiology of any current disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's Meniere's disease, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are not service connected as they were not incurred or aggravated by his military service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal of the issues regarding episodic vertigo and prostatitis, which were dismissed due to the withdrawal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's Meniere's syndrome warrants a 100 percent disability rating, as his symptoms include attacks of vertigo and cerebellar gait occurring more than once weekly.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for various issues, including an initial rating in excess of 60 percent for idiopathic cardiomyopathy with CAD and atrial fibrillation, service connection for umbilical hernia, thyroidectomy, cervical disorder, vertigo, varicose veins, erectile dysfunction, and a skin disorder.