Vertigo & vestibular disorders decisions — 2022

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate rationale in a previous VA examination and the need for further medical evaluation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's Meniere's disease was incurred during his active duty service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to correct duty to assist errors and obtain new VA examinations for the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to an inadequate VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's claimed balance condition and secondary service connection for his bilateral hearing loss. The AOJ is instructed to obtain an independent medical opinion from a specialist in otolaryngology, and to seek any outstanding medical records.

The Board has determined that more development is necessary for the Veteran's cervical spine disability and vertigo claims, including additional VA examinations to assess the severity of these conditions and opinions on their etiology. The issues are being remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to outstanding VA treatment records and inadequate examination findings. The Veteran's knee and lumbar spine disabilities are being evaluated again, with a focus on obtaining more detailed information about their current severity.

The Veteran's anal condition is granted service connection. The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for vertigo and headaches due to lack of clear evidence.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for entitlement to service connection for vertigo due to withdrawal by the Veteran. The remaining issues of service connection have been remanded.

The Board denied service connection for vertigo and left knee condition, as well as right knee condition secondary to vertigo due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's initial rating for ischemic heart disease is denied as the evidence does not show symptoms at a workload of 5.0 METs or less, left ventricular dysfunction with an ejection fraction greater than 50 percent, or episodes of congestive heart failure.

The appeal with respect to entitlement to a TDIU from January 26, 2009 is dismissed. The issue of service connection for a head or vestibular disability (other than Meniere's disease) is remanded.

The Board has decided that the claim for service connection for vestibular disorder, including tinnitus and dizziness, needs to be remanded due to insufficient opinions in previous VA examinations. The examination is required to address whether the Veteran's dizziness is related to his service, specifically noise exposure as an ammunition specialist, and if it is aggravated by his medication for knee disability or proximately due to his tinnitus.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for Meniere's syndrome was denied in January 2013. He submitted a new claim on April 14, 2021, and the VA granted service connection with an effective date of that day.

The Board has found that the Veteran's service connection claims for COPD, diverticulosis, headache disability, hypertension, vertigo, and hernia are remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding a skin condition, vertigo, and PTSD. The Board dismissed these issues as the Veteran indicated satisfaction with the current decisions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's Meniere's disease is related to service, granting his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus was rated at a 10 percent prior to July 18, 2018 and granted a 30 percent rating from that date.,The Veteran's right knee disability was remanded for additional development as there were outstanding non-VA treatment records not in the file.,The Veteran's Meniere's disease with chronic suppurative otitis media was remanded to determine if tinnitus should be considered a symptom and whether it warranted a separate rating prior to August 7, 2020.,The Veteran's alopecia with scarring was remanded for an addendum opinion on whether the condition is more appropriately characterized as discoid lupus erythematous.

The Veteran's initial 30 percent rating for Meniere's syndrome with hearing loss and tinnitus is granted prior to February 6, 2018. For the period since February 6, 2018, a separate 30 percent rating for peripheral vestibular disorder is granted.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of October 1, 2015 for service connection for Meniere's disease.,The Veteran's appeal for a higher initial rating for his right hip disability and the issue of entitlement to service connection for left hip disability are remanded.