Vertigo & vestibular disorders decisions — 2020

The Veteran's vertigo disability is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds a remand necessary to ensure proper consideration of his claim for an increased rating.

The Veteran's Meniere’s disease with bilateral otitis media and myringotomy tubes is rated at 100% effective August 12, 2015. The claim for a higher rating for hearing loss is denied. An earlier effective date of August 12, 2015, for the grant of a 100% rating for Meniere’s disease with bilateral otitis media and myringotomy tubes is granted.

The Board has dismissed all issues related to service connection and rating for various conditions due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current left ear hearing loss disability for VA purposes and therefore, service connection is denied. The claims of service connection for back disability, hypertension, and vertigo are remanded as there is insufficient evidence to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient development of information regarding the necessity for a Master's Degree and vocational rehabilitation evaluations. The Veteran must provide any necessary documentation, and the AOJ should arrange for functional capacity evaluations and determine if the Veteran can achieve employment as a licensed social worker.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of bilateral hearing loss and Meniere's syndrome for further development. The claims will be reviewed again with new evidence, specifically focusing on noise exposure during service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is at least as likely as not attributable to service, and therefore grants service connection for BPPV.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for vertigo, finding that it is not related to his service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the claims for vertigo and Meniere's syndrome as secondary to service-connected bilateral hearing loss due to incomplete information from private treatment records.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's left shoulder disability and benign positional vertigo. The Veteran is not entitled to service connection for these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right lower extremity neuropathy, as well as his claim for vertigo. The Board found that there was no evidence of chronic or continuous symptoms since service, nor did they find a causal relationship between any current conditions and service, including herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's diagnosed conditions. The AOJ is instructed to obtain new medical opinions addressing these issues.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to conflicting opinions and insufficient evidence.,The Veteran's bilateral ankle disability is not service-connected as it was a congenital defect with no additional disease or injury during service.

All claims for increased ratings and effective dates have been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of all issues on appeal except for his claims for an increased rating for headaches and a TDIU.,For the entire appeal period from July 29, 2013 to present, a rating of 50 percent has been granted for service-connected headaches.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of his ear conditions. A new VA examination is needed to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The appeal for an increased rating for tinnitus is dismissed. The October 2014 Notice of Disagreement was timely regarding the November 2013 and February 2014 rating decisions, but the June 2018 NOD was not valid as it raised issues that had never been adjudicated before.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for Meniere’s disease and a compensable rating for right ear hearing loss due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA and private medical records.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development due to duty-to-assist errors in obtaining opinions regarding whether the Veteran's headaches and dizziness are secondary to his service-connected tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's vertigo is related to his service-connected tinnitus and has been aggravated by it. The case is being remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's vertigo is secondary to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss, but the August 2019 VA opinion is inadequate. The remand requires an addendum opinion addressing whether the vertigo is proximately due to or aggravated by the service-connected bilateral hearing loss.