Vertigo & vestibular disorders decisions — 2020

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to his failure to report for scheduled VA examinations. The Board will attempt to reschedule the examinations and provide further guidance.

The Veteran's PVD with BPPV, rated at 30 percent since November 24, 2008, is granted effective from that date.

The Board has determined that there have been issues with the completion of prior remand directives and additional development is required to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for vertigo, finding that it is a symptom of his service-connected chronic otitis media.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty to assist error, specifically regarding the opinions on whether the Veteran's vertigo had onset in service or is related to his service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected due to in-service noise exposure. However, his bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a disability under VA regulations.,The Board has found that there was no substantial compliance with prior remand directives regarding joint conditions and vertigo.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed conditions and their relationship to his military service.

The Board has remanded the cases for further action due to procedural issues and the need for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for Meniere's disease is remanded due to the intertwined nature of his pending legacy claim for a compensable rating for residuals of barotrauma of the ear.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for respiratory and central neurological disabilities were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection due to lack of medical nexus opinions linking current conditions to military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss, vertigo, and sleep apnea has been granted. Service connection is established for hearing loss as it is found to be related to his period of active service. The claims for heart disorder/disease and vertigo are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's peripheral vestibular disorder (vertigo), bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are rated at 100% effective May 31, 2011. An initial rating of 70% for a mood disorder is granted. A separate 20% rating for left knee semilunar cartilage condition is granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for coronary artery disease and vertigo were denied as there was no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicide agents, the diseases did not manifest during or shortly after service, and there is no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for peripheral vestibular disorder and TDIU prior to June 18, 2018. The Veteran's claim will be readjudicated with a new examination addressing causation and aggravation of his claimed conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied as new and relevant evidence was not received to support the claims. The Veteran is also denied a rating in excess of the current assigned ratings for various conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for back disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and a compensable rating for vertigo as a manifestation of TBI. The effective date is not specified.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for increased evaluations of his TBI, spine disorder, right hip strain (limitation of extension), and right hip strain (impairment of the thigh) are denied as it was not factually ascertainable that an increase in these conditions occurred one year prior to June 20, 2018.,The Veteran's claim for restoration of separate service connection award for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is granted.

The Board has remanded the case for additional medical opinions regarding service connection for Meniere's disease (claimed as vertigo). The right ear hearing loss disability claim is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for motion sickness (vertigo) as there was no clear and unmistakable evidence of a pre-existing condition that worsened during or after service, and the current vertigo is not related to his service-connected hearing loss or tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the claim for chronic left ear infections with ear pressure, to include a vestibular disability due to inconsistencies in opinions and need for additional examination.