Vertigo & vestibular disorders Board decisions

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus and vertigo and balance problems, including Meniere's syndrome, were not incurred or aggravated in service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for left ear hearing loss, eustachian tube dysfunction, and allergic rhinitis and sinusitis. The evaluations assigned were found to be appropriate based on the medical evidence provided.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for blurred vision and positional vertigo, finding that there is no evidence of a chronic disease process manifested by blurred vision or any current diagnosis related to military service. The claim for positional vertigo was also denied due to lack of continuity of symptomatology.

The veteran's claims for service connection for Meniere's disease and an initial rating in excess of 40 percent for right shoulder impingement syndrome prior to March 6, 2002 were denied. The claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for the same condition from March 6, 2002 onwards was also denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of Meniere's disease with endolymphatic hydrops, bilateral defective hearing and tinnitus. The appeal is dismissed as the law precludes assignment of such a benefit.

The Board has granted a rating of 20 percent for the veteran's low back strain and degenerative arthritis, effective March 31, 2005. The initial compensable rating for left plantar warts was also granted. However, the claim for service connection for Meniere's syndrome remains pending as it is not addressed in this decision.

The veteran's benign positional vertigo and cluster headaches were not incurred in service, nor are they related to his service-connected hearing loss or tinnitus.,There is no evidence of a relationship between the veteran's exposure to herbicides and his claimed conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's vertigo was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service, and it is not proximately due to or the result of his service-connected hearing loss or tinnitus; nor may it be presumed to have been incurred in service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed disabilities, including right ankle disorder, left ankle disorder, right knee disorder, low back disorder, right shoulder disorder, left shoulder disorder, migraine headaches, tinnitus, and a disability manifested by vertigo, were not incurred or aggravated during his period of active duty service. The evidence does not support a finding that any of these conditions are related to service.

The Board has remanded the case for a new medical opinion and to consider all evidence of record, including VA medical records from 1951. The veteran's claims for service connection for Meniere's disease, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are being reconsidered.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of a cardiovascular disability or Meniere's disease during military service, and the preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to military service. Therefore, service connection for both conditions is denied.

The Board found that the veteran's vertigo was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service and denied his claim.

The veteran's claims for initial compensable evaluation for peripheral vestibular weakness prior to December 1, 2006 and increased evaluations for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to Meniere's disease were denied. The veteran was granted service connection for Meniere's disease but the RO proposed reducing the evaluation for peripheral vestibular weakness from 30 percent to 10 percent.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development and consideration of whether extra-schedular considerations should be applied. The issues include increased evaluations for scars, headaches, and TDIU.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to incomplete examination and missing medical records.

The Board has denied all service connection claims as there is no medical evidence of current diagnoses for the claimed conditions.

The Board found that the veteran's Meniere's disease is not related to his service or any service-connected conditions, and thus denied the claim.

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee disorder.,The veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral foot pain was denied in June 2002, but the evidence received since that decision is new and material, reopening his claim. The Board finds no evidence linking the current bilateral foot disorder to service.,Service connection has been granted for a chronic psychiatric disorder (schizophrenia).,The veteran's claims of service connection for headaches with vertigo, fainting, and blurred vision were not addressed in this decision.

The Board found that the veteran's Meniere's syndrome did not manifest during service or within close proximity thereto, and there is no direct evidence linking it to service. The VA examiner's opinion was considered more probative than a private physician's opinion.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have current diagnoses of appendicitis, acute pyelonephritis, benign positional vertigo, benign prostatic hypertrophy, or status post transurethral resection of the prostate. The conditions are denied as service connection is not granted for these disabilities.