Vertigo & vestibular disorders decisions — 2018

The Board denied service connection for vertigo/dizziness, tinnitus, diabetes mellitus type 2, and stroke as the evidence did not establish a link to service or any in-service injury, event, or disease.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including those for service connection and increased ratings. The issues include PTSD, jaw disability, right shoulder degenerative joint disease, right knee degenerative joint disease, bilateral hearing loss, peripheral vestibular disorder, kidney stones, and persistent depressive disorder.

The Board has remanded the case for further evidentiary development, including obtaining a new opinion on whether the Veteran's erectile dysfunction and Meniere’s syndrome are caused or aggravated by his service-connected tinnitus and/or medication used to treat his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and a TBI examination. The issues of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 40 percent for post-concussive syndrome with dizziness and headaches (claimed as traumatic brain injury) and total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities are also remanded.

The Board found no evidence of service connection for the claimed conditions and denied all issues on appeal.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating prior to May 23, 2016, for lumbosacral spine (low back disability) degenerative joint disease was granted. The issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as well as the issue of service connection for vertigo were remanded.

The Veteran's posttraumatic disequilibrium, previously diagnosed as Meniere's disease, is granted an increased rating to 30 percent.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the Veteran's death, and no jurisdiction remains for further action.

The Board denied service connection for hearing loss and dizziness, finding that the Veteran's current conditions did not meet the criteria for service connection due to lack of continuity of symptoms or evidence linking his current disabilities to service.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including hypertension, arthritis of the hips, bilateral hearing loss, vertigo, a heart disorder, cold weather injuries, prostate cancer, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD and depression), finding that there was no evidence to support these claims.

The Board denied service connection for vertigo and headaches, finding no current diagnosis of these conditions related to service or service-connected disabilities. The claim for headaches was also denied as new and material evidence had not been received since the February 2009 rating decision.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for residual injury of the right index finger, residual injury of the right long finger, Meniere's disease, groin condition with testicular, scrotum, and groin pain, and an increased rating for right thumb fracture are remanded.,A compensable rating for dextro-deviation of nasal septum is denied.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the claims of service connection for vestibular disorder, a rating in excess of 90 percent for bilateral hearing loss, and TDIU due to service-connected disability. The Veteran's case will be remanded for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss, but denied service connection for right ear hearing loss. The issue of service connection for vertigo is remanded and will be addressed in a future decision.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions have been denied. The Board found no evidence of a nexus between the claimed conditions and service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for vertigo is remanded due to the need for a new examination and testing. The examiner will determine if the current disability manifested by vertigo was incurred or aggravated during active duty service, including recurrent ear infections and/or tympanic membrane perforations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, vestibular disability (including vertigo), upper respiratory disability (claimed as sinusitis and allergic rhinitis), intestinal disability (claimed as gastroenteritis), and endometriosis. The Board found no current disabilities in these areas and concluded that the Veteran's claims were not supported by medical evidence or continuity of symptomatology.

The Board has granted service connection for a vestibular condition, but the issue of an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board denied a higher rating. The issue of service connection for vertigo was remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for a perilymphatic fistula, but denied service connection for Meniere's disease.