Vertigo & vestibular disorders decisions — 2025

The Board granted service connection for lumbar spine disability, as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left foot crush injury, and sciatic radiculopathy of both lower extremities, also secondary to the newly service-connected lumbar spine disability. The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for depressive disorder with unspecified anxiety disorder and a compensable rating for allergic rhinitis.

The Veteran was granted a 70 percent disability rating for bilateral hearing loss from February 23, 2010 to March 30, 2018, and the claim for service connection for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) was also granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for a 70 percent disability rating for PTSD with alcohol dependence and residuals of TBI with peripheral vestibular disorder, finding that the severity, frequency, and duration of his symptoms did not more closely approximate occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas prior to March 28, 2023.

The appeal regarding entitlement to service connection for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for multiple conditions due to a need for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions considering all toxic exposure risk activities (TERAs) under the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxins Act of 2022.

The appeal was dismissed for res judicata, and a rating in excess of 30 percent for the cervical spine disability was denied. The Board remanded an issue regarding a separate compensable rating for vertigo.

The Board remands the claim for a vestibular disorder to obtain an addendum medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II, caused or aggravated his vestibular disorder.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for Parkinson's disease, hypertension, vertigo as secondary to Parkinson's disease, and acquired psychiatric disorder (also claimed as dementia and/or depression) as secondary to Parkinson's disease for further development.

The Board granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability as a result of service-connected disabilities and special monthly compensation, while denying earlier effective dates for service connection and DEA benefits, and an increased evaluation for PTSD.

The Board denied the claims for earlier effective dates and remanded several service connection claims.

The Veteran was granted a 100-percent rating for Meniere's disease with hearing impairment and tinnitus, effective from March 23, 2020, along with an earlier effective date of the same date for eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, effective August 28, 2018, due to clear and unmistakable error in the October 2018 rating decision. Service connection was also granted for major depressive disorder (MDD) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board denied service connection for all the claimed conditions as there was no evidence to support a finding that any of these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by active military service.

The Board denied service connection for hemorrhoids, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), vertigo, rhinitis, sinusitis, and asthma as the evidence did not support a finding of a current disability or a link to active service. The claim for GERD was remanded for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a higher evaluation for service-connected vertigo, finding that the evidence did not support an evaluation in excess of 10 percent.

The appeals for service connection for anemia, left and right foot conditions (swelling bilateral feet), prostate issues, tension headaches and head injury with short term memory loss and blurred vision, and vertigo were dismissed as the Veteran withdrew them. The claims for readjudication of tension headaches and head injury with short term memory loss and blurred vision and vertigo will be considered based on new evidence submitted.

The Board granted a 30 percent rating for vertigo and a 20 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss from August 30, 2023 to December 21, 2023, but denied a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss at any time during the appeal period.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a rating of 30 percent, but no higher, for the period on appeal prior to December 6, 2023, for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), with a 100 percent rating from December 6, 2023.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for a compensable rating for nephrolithiasis and service connection for vertigo, chronic fatigue syndrome, right shoulder osteoarthritis, and sleep apnea.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD with TBI, granted separate ratings of 30 percent for BPPV and migraine headaches, and denied increased ratings for other conditions. Service connection was also denied for various disabilities.