Vertigo & vestibular disorders decisions — 2022

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for vertigo due to new and material evidence submitted since the November 2014 decision.,Service connection was granted for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and Meniere's disease, finding that the conditions began during military service and are related to noise exposure.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for further development and consideration, including the submission of a VA Form 21-8940 to evaluate his disability picture throughout the period on appeal. The RO must consider referral to the Director of Compensation Services for extra-schedular consideration.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for vertigo and headaches, as secondary to hearing loss and tinnitus. The remand requires additional medical opinions regarding these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for Meniere's syndrome was dismissed due to his death before a decision could be made.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for benign positional vertigo and residuals of a hysterectomy due to outstanding VA treatment records and potential private medical records. The Veteran is also seeking service connection for these conditions, which will require further examination and review.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for entitlement to service connection for a right knee disability, left knee disability, low back disability, and vertigo due to insufficient development of records.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and Meniere's disease, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a TDIU as they are rated at less than 60% combined and there is no sufficient additional disability to bring the combined rating to 70%. The Board finds that the Veteran has not been prevented from securing or following substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case to the AOJ for submission of the TDIU claim to the Director of Compensation Service on an extraschedular basis due to exceptional aspects associated with the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities contribute in substantial part to his vocational impairment, and he has not overcome the effects of such impairment. VR&E services under Chapter 31 are granted.

The Veteran withdrew their appeal regarding the issues of increased ratings for right shoulder bursitis and right knee chondromalacia, as well as service connection for vertigo and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for Meniere's syndrome, finding that the Veteran's current dizziness, hearing loss, tinnitus, and staggering are related to his military service due to noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for an addendum medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's diagnosed vertigo is etiologically related to his conceded in-service acoustic trauma and/or established perforation of the tympanic membrane.

The Veteran's vertigo was denied a compensable rating prior to July 21, 2016 and a rating in excess of 30 percent from that date onward.,Service connection for DMII and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities were both denied.,There is no evidence of herbicide exposure or service incurrence causing these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and service connection has been remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions regarding his claimed conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for a thyroid disorder, diagnosed as hypothyroidism, due to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD, anemia, and migraine headaches.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment prior to October 25, 2017.,The Veteran does not have a need for regular aid and assistance due to his service-connected conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for benign postural vertigo, finding that there was no clear and unmistakable evidence of pre-existing vertigo prior to service. The Board also found that the current vertigo did not clearly and unmistakably pre-exist service and was less likely than not related to service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The hernia disability, abdominal scar, fibromyalgia, acquired psychiatric disability (pending), left shoulder disability (pending), right shoulder disability (pending), left arm disability (pending), right arm disability (pending), left elbow disability (pending), right elbow disability (pending), disability of the small finger, left hand (pending), cervical spine disability (pending), left ankle disability (pending), right ankle disability (pending), left foot skin disability (pending), and right foot skin disability (pending) were not granted. The Veteran's claims for service connection for sinus disability (pending), bilateral eye disability (pending), disability of the left eye cornea (pending), bilateral hearing loss disability (pending), tinnitus (pending), vertigo (pending), headaches (pending), and sleep apnea (pending) are pending.