Vertigo & vestibular disorders decisions — 2019

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for vertigo, finding that it did not manifest during active service and is unrelated to his service-connected tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's vertigo, which may be related to service or secondary to bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of service connection for Meniere’s disease and a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss due to incomplete development. The Veteran's SSA records are requested, and further examination is needed to determine if his current ear disabilities had their clinical onset during active service or are related to any in-service disease, event, or injury.

The Veteran's BPPV has not manifested with occasional staggering at any time during the rating period on appeal, and his preponderance of evidence is against a finding that he staggers.

The Board denied service connection for vertigo, finding that the evidence does not support a link between the Veteran's current condition and his military service.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is rated as noncompensable (zero percent) due to the average puretone threshold of 58 decibels, which corresponds to a V designation under Table VI. The Veteran does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

Service connection for hearing loss in left ear is denied.,Service connection for tinnitus is granted.,Service connection for sleep apnea is denied.,Service connection for skin cancer on face is denied.,A compensable rating for hearing loss in right ear is denied.,The claim for service connection for a back disability is remanded.,The claim for service connection for a vestibular disorder in the right ear, to include vertigo and loss of balance, is remanded.

The Veteran's petition to reopen her claim for service connection for vertigo (also claimed as dizziness) was granted. Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as somatic symptoms disorder, is also granted. The initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for hoarseness remains denied.

The Veteran's lumbar disc disease is granted service connection. The dizziness condition (Meniere's disease) and TDIU claim are remanded for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus, eye problems to include retinology, right knee condition, left knee condition, vertigo secondary to bilateral hearing loss, and kidney failure with advanced kidney loss. The appeal is denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and vertigo (including Ménière’s disease) due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology. The Veteran will be scheduled for VA examinations to determine if his vertigo is related to service or a pre-existing condition.

The Veteran's benign paroxysmal positional vertigo was granted an initial rating of 30 percent, effective August 29, 2017. The appeal for a higher rating or extraschedular evaluation is denied.

The Veteran's claims for benign vertigo, acne, temporomandibular joint condition, and migraine headaches have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeals.

The Board denied service connection for a jaw injury, tooth injury/extraction, and vertigo as there was no evidence of current disabilities related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions have been denied as there is no competent medical evidence of a diagnosed chronic disability resulting from the claimed conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of authorization for private treatment records related to the Veteran's claim for service connection for a peripheral vestibular disability, claimed as dizziness/vertigo, which is secondary to service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's vertigo, which causes symptoms of dizziness and imbalance, was first diagnosed during service. The Board finds that the current diagnosis is related to his in-service injury and grants service connection for vertigo.

The Veteran's service-connected benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is rated at 10 percent disabling prior to October 15, 2017. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating due to occasional dizziness and occasional nausea/vomiting.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical spondylosis, Meniere’s disease, obstructive sleep apnea, red splotches on back of neck, left carpal tunnel syndrome, and right carpal tunnel syndrome due to insufficient evidence addressing all potential paths for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his hearing impairment did not meet the criteria for any higher evaluation.,The effective date of service connection for Meniere’s Disease and vertigo secondary to his service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus was granted on December 17, 2015. The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date is denied as there is no evidence of a prior informal or formal claim before this date.,The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus type II (DM II) with erectile dysfunction (ED) was remanded due to the need for additional examination.