Vertigo & vestibular disorders decisions — 2022

The Veteran's claim for service connection for TBI, post-traumatic migraine headaches, and BPPV is granted with an effective date of July 5, 2017.

The Veteran's additional hearing loss, cranial swelling, vertigo, disorientation, memory loss, and left jaw pain are not deemed to be caused by VA care or treatment.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinions regarding whether the Veteran's imbalance, dizziness, and vertigo are aggravated by his service-connected disabilities or related to medication for those conditions.

The Veteran's appeals for increased disability ratings and effective dates have been dismissed as he has withdrawn his appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including vertigo, dizziness, back pain, hearing loss, PTSD, and MDD, prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment. The Board finds that the Veteran is unemployable due to his disabilities.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent disabling, which satisfies the requirement for a single disability rated as 100 percent. However, his other service-connected disabilities do not independently rate at 60 percent or more, thus denying entitlement to SMC based on housebound status.

The Board denied service connection for vertigo, finding that the evidence does not support a current disability and attributing symptoms to service-connected tinnitus.

The Veteran withdrew her appeals on multiple issues, including service connection and increased rating claims. The Board dismissed the appeal due to these withdrawals.

The veteran has withdrawn her appeals for increased ratings and TDIU, so these issues are dismissed.

The Board denied service connection for pituitary stalk enhancement and left peripheral vestibular dysfunction, finding no current disability or evidence of an undiagnosed illness or MUCMI. The Veteran's claims were based on laboratory findings that did not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Board denied service connection for a back condition, finding no evidence of an in-service injury or disease related to the current condition.,Service connection was also denied for a joint condition (fibromyalgia), vertigo, sinus condition, headache condition (migraines), and gastrointestinal disability (GERD and hiatal hernia).

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have resulted in a permanent and total disability that precludes locomotion without the aid of braces, crutches, canes or a wheelchair. The Board has granted entitlement to a certificate of eligibility for assistance in acquiring specially adapted housing.

The Veteran's Meniere's disease is granted a 30 percent rating effective March 26, 2022.,A compensable rating for his dry eye syndrome is granted. The Veteran has been rated under DC 6018, which pertains to active chronic conjunctivitis.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for further development and readjudication, including obtaining information about the qualifications of the August 2021 VA examiner who completed the Ear Conditions DBQ.

The Veteran withdrew all issues on appeal, including the claim for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.

The Board has granted service connection for vertigo, degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine (as secondary to service-connected TBI), and cervical spondylosis (also as secondary to service-connected TBI).

The Board has granted service connection for left knee arthritis and residuals of septorhinoplasty. The Veteran's GERD and Meniere's disease are remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus, type II and heart condition as secondary to service-connected acquired psychiatric disability. The claims for vertigo and vision disability are also remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, lumbosacral strain, Meniere's syndrome, and tinnitus, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's claims for service connection for persistent depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, hepatitis C, HIV, abdomen tumor residuals, and vertigo have been granted. The case is remanded for further examination regarding the abdomen tumor and vertigo.