Vertigo & vestibular disorders decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the case due to non-compliance with prior remand directives, including obtaining a VA examination and completing a TDIU application.

The Board denied service connection for visual field defects, vertigo, a cardiac disorder, and a neurological disorder of the right lower extremity. The Veteran's STRs did not show any relevant conditions during her active duty service or within one year post-service separation.,No presumptive service connection was granted as there is no evidence of chronic diseases manifesting to 10% disability within one year after service separation.

The Veteran's chronic gastrointestinal disorder (GERD), obstructive sleep apnea, and vertigo are all found to be related to his service. The claims for these conditions have been granted.

The Board denied service connection for inner ear disease or vestibular dysfunction manifested by vertigo, finding that the condition is not related to service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran is granted entitlement to SMC at the rate authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 1114(l) from November 29, 2008 due to his service-connected benign pituitary adenoma with diabetes mellitus and adrenal insufficiency.,The Veteran is also granted entitlement to SMC at the rate authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 1114(o) from January 8, 2009 as he has two of the rates provided in subsection (l) without considering the same condition twice.

The Veteran's death by suicide was not caused or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities. The Veteran did not meet the criteria for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 as he did not have a total disability rating due to service-connected conditions for at least ten years prior to his death.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been denied. The Board found that there was no in-service stressor and the current disability is not related to service.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for Posttraumatic Headaches, Neuropsychiatric Disorder (with headaches), Anxiety, Residuals of TBI with Memory Loss, Right Eye Condition, Bilateral Hearing Loss, Post Traumatic Headaches with Dizzy Spells/Syncope (claimed as Migraines and Vertigo), Keloid Scars, and Tinnitus have been reopened. However, the claims for service connection for these conditions remain pending.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for peripheral vestibular disorder was granted with an effective date of August 21, 2014.,A higher rating in excess of 20 percent for left lower extremity radiculopathy is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's peripheral vestibular disorder, finding that it was incurred in service and is related to his history of exposure to high decibel noise.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and Meniere’s disease, to include vertigo. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD and OCD, is dismissed as the Veteran's claim was already granted in May 2013. The claim for chronic renal disease, to include hypertensive chronic kidney disease and stage 3 chronic kidney disease, is also dismissed as it has been granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, meralgia paresthetica of the right thigh, left hip gout, right ankle gout, left elbow gout, left ankle gout, left toe/foot gout, left knee gout, and right knee gout has been granted. The rating for meralgia paresthetica of the right thigh is restored to 10%. Service connection for asthma and Meniere’s disease remains pending.

The Veteran's Meniere’s disease is rated at 100 percent, the highest possible rating, due to symptoms including hearing impairment with tinnitus and attacks of vertigo occurring more than once a week.

The Board granted service connection for Meniere’s syndrome or endolymphatic hydrops, tinnitus, and sleep apnea, along with an initial 50 percent rating for PTSD. The effective dates were assigned based on the date of the grant of service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated at a noncompensable disability level prior to May 28, 2019. The appeal for an increased rating is denied.,For the period prior to May 28, 2019, the Veteran’s vertigo was rated at a 10 percent disability level. The appeal for a higher rating is denied.,Effective from May 28, 2019, the Veteran's Meniere's syndrome was rated at a 30 percent disability level. The appeal for an increased rating is denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination, and further action is required.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims of service connection for various disabilities, but these claims are still being remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.,The Veteran is seeking service connection for a variety of conditions including back, knee, ankle, and brain injury issues. The VA will need to provide additional medical opinions to address the relationship between his current conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's skin disorder, CAD, sinus disorder, and vertigo are all remanded for further development due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for right arm disorder and low back disorder with radiculopathy, but has remanded her claims for service connection for vestibular disorder (vertigo), right hip disorder, left knee disorder, and right ankle disorder.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and Meniere's disease due to inadequate compliance with previous remand instructions. The Veteran's MOS as a tank crewman is noted, but further medical opinion is needed regarding the relationship between his military service and these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for Meniere’s disease and denied service connection for an inner ear condition other than Meniere's disease. The remaining claims of service connection for psychiatric disorders, vertigo, and chronic tonsillitis are remanded for further development.