Vertigo & vestibular disorders decisions — 2017

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's peripheral vestibular disorder, finding that his symptoms in service and post-service are related to this condition.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, the highest available rating under the applicable criteria. The TBI with postconcussive headache residuals warrants a noncompensable rating. There is no compensable rating for vertigo.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for Meniere's disease, stomach cramps, dizziness, diarrhea, and blurred vision. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing an opinion on whether the Veteran's claimed conditions are related to his service or due to an unexplained chronic multisymptom illness.

The Veteran's right eye disorder, PTSD, TBI, headaches, and vertigo have been granted effective as of April 10, 2014.,An earlier effective date for these disabilities is not warranted.

The Board denied reopening the Veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension and right nephrectomy due to cancer, as new and material evidence was not submitted. The claim for rhinitis and chronic vertigo is being remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain missing private treatment records and issue an SOC for the claims of service connection.

The Board finds that the Veteran's benign paroxysmal position vertigo is related to his in-service injury and grants service connection on a direct basis.

The Veteran has been diagnosed with Meniere's disease, which is associated with hearing loss and tinnitus. The Board found that new evidence related to the onset of these conditions during service raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's spouse requires regular aid and attendance due to physical incapacity resulting from multiple service-connected disabilities, which meets the criteria for increased compensation based on the need of the Veteran's spouse for regular aid and attendance.

The Veteran's benign proximal vertigo is rated at 10 percent, and his erectile dysfunction remains noncompensable.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection as there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease that caused his current dizziness, Meniere's disease, and benign paroxysmal vertigo. The Board found that the Veteran's assertions about events during service were not credible due to inconsistencies with other records.

The Veteran has been granted service connection for symptomatic episodes due to in-service chemical exposure and an initial noncompensable rating for bilateral hearing loss. The appeal is denied for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss was withdrawn. The Board granted a TDIU from February 12, 2014, based on his service-connected disabilities. The case is remanded to schedule the Veteran for a videoconference hearing regarding his claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection of a disequilibrium disorder (claimed as vertigo) and granted service connection. The low back disability is rated at 40 percent, effective from when the reduction was made.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for the claim of service connection for vertigo before a decision was made.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's peripheral vestibular disorder is secondary to his service-connected right ear conductive hearing loss, which was caused by a stapedectomy performed in 1995. The evidence supports this finding and resolves all reasonable doubt in favor of the claim.

The Veteran's bilateral ankle strain disability is considered service-connected. The Veteran's psychiatric disability, characterized as PTSD with anxiety disorder and major depression, meets the criteria for a 30 percent rating but not higher.

The Board has granted the petition to reopen the previously denied claim for service connection for Meniere's disease, finding that new and material evidence has been submitted.

The Veteran's BPPV is presumed to have been incurred during service, and the criteria for service connection are met.,There is insufficient evidence to establish a direct relationship between the Veteran's GERD and his service or any service-connected disability. The claim is denied.