Vertigo & vestibular disorders decisions — 2018

The Veteran's petition to reopen claims for SLE, immune diseases, fibromyalgia, vertigo, skin condition, diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, and an acquired psychiatric disorder are granted. The case is remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for Meniere's Syndrome as there is no confirmed diagnosis of the condition during the appeal period.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for fibromyalgia has been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The claims for hypertension, vertigo, sleep apnea, diabetes, PTSD, depression, and headaches are being remanded for further development.,Service connection for hypertension is denied as there is no evidence linking current hypertension to service.

The Veteran's cognitive impairment, vertigo, and posttraumatic headaches (migraines) have been granted initial evaluations. The cognitive impairment is rated at 40 percent, the maximum schedular rating for TBI residuals.

The Board has denied an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss and has remanded the issues of service connection for peripheral vestibular disease (claimed as vertigo) and traumatic brain injury.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for a head injury, finding no current disability related to such injury and that any vertigo and Meniere's disease are not related to his military service.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's Meniere's Disease should be remanded for a VA examination to determine its etiology and whether it is related to service-connected hearing loss or tinnitus. The TDIU claim also needs further review.

The Board denied service connection for Meniere’s disease with vertigo and bilateral hearing loss, finding no current diagnosis of these conditions. The Veteran's bruxism (claimed as TMJ disorder) was remanded due to its potential link to depression.,Service connection for depression was also remanded because the issue was not properly addressed in a Statement of the Case.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of bilateral hearing loss and vertigo due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's claims will be reviewed again with a VA examination.

The Veteran's Meniere’s disease and major depressive disorder were rated based on their current manifestations. The rating for Meniere’s disease was denied, while the ratings for major depressive disorder were partially granted with staged increases in severity. Other service-connected conditions related to low back disability and sciatica were also remanded for further review.

The Board denied service connection for vertigo, finding that it did not manifest during active service or within one year of separation and was not caused by an in-service injury or medication.

The Veteran's appeals for increased evaluations for Meniere’s Disease and migraine headaches were denied as the evidence did not show that his conditions warranted a higher evaluation than the currently assigned ratings.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection. The Veteran does not have a current vestibular disorder or PTSD. The Veteran's PTSD is granted an initial rating of 30 percent prior to January 13, 2016.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues with verifying the Veteran's claimed PTSD stressor and for further development regarding his engagement to a female service member who died in a plane crash. The Veteran needs to provide more information, and VA will attempt to obtain her military personnel records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of a shin condition, right eye condition, right ear hearing loss, vertigo, or TBI. The claims for these conditions are being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions and records.

The Veteran's bilateral vestibular disorder is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability during service or related to in-service noise exposure, and the Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that the condition began during service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine if her vertigo is related to service or secondary to her service-connected tinnitus. The rating for allergic rhinitis remains at 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete VA treatment records and the need for additional examinations.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's right labyrinthine abnormality is related to service or secondary to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and/or tinnitus.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and Meniere's disease. The right foot disability claim is denied with a remand for further review. Other issues remain pending.