Vertigo & vestibular disorders Board decisions

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed vertigo and loss of balance are not related to service or any service-connected conditions, and thus denied his claims for service connection. His bilateral hearing loss is already assigned a maximum schedular evaluation, and therefore he cannot be granted an increased rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have Meniere's disease that is related to service or his service-connected rhinitis.

The veteran's claims for higher initial evaluations and increased ratings were granted, with a noncompensable evaluation initially assigned for bilateral hearing loss from October 29, 2001, and a 40 percent evaluation thereafter. The other claims remain pending.

The Board denied service connection for vertigo and PTSD, but granted a 30% rating for PTSD. The issues of entitlement to increased ratings for PTSD and TDIU are not currently resolved.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for vertigo, finding that there was no evidence of a continuity of symptomatology post-service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for Meniere's syndrome, finding that there is no medical evidence of a relationship between his disorder and any incident of service including acoustic trauma from an antitank gun blast in 1945.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, left hip disability, seizure disorder, coronary artery disease (CAD), bilateral hearing loss, and vertigo.

The Board has determined that the veteran's Meniere's syndrome had its onset during service and is related to an in-service injury, thus granting service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for fibromyalgia, vertigo, otitis externa in the right ear, diabetes mellitus type II, primary open angle glaucoma, bilateral hearing loss, and PTSD. The appeals were all denied as there was no credible evidence linking these conditions to service.

The veteran does not have vestibular labyrinthitis that is related to his military service and the Board finds it less likely than not that his current disability is connected to disease or injury while in active military service.

The Board has remanded the claims due to outstanding medical records and the need for additional examinations.

The Board found that there was no clear and unmistakable error in the September 1988 and May 2000 rating decisions, as the veteran's service-connected tinnitus has been assigned the maximum schedular rating available for tinnitus.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining and retaining employment consistent with his abilities, aptitudes, and interests; he does not have an employment handicap.

The veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than June 10, 1999 for the grant of a separate 10 percent evaluation for tinnitus is denied as the change in rating criteria occurred on that date and he was already entitled to a 30 percent disability rating prior to then.

The Board found no clear and unmistakable error in the April 26, 1996 rating decision that assigned a 10 percent rating for both ears for tinnitus with benign positional vertigo. The claim is denied.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a VA examination and proper VCAA notice.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for vertigo and degenerative discopathy, lumbar radiculopathy, and arthritic spurring of the lumbar spine. The issues are remanded to obtain additional medical records and to schedule the veteran for VA examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for vertigo as secondary to the veteran's service-connected otitis media. The claims for left ear tympanic sclerosis, mastoiditis, and Eustachian tube disability were denied due to a lack of current diagnoses.

The veteran's claim for special monthly pension on account of being housebound or in need of aid and attendance of another person is denied as he does not meet the criteria for either status based on his multiple disabilities.

The veteran's death was not the result of his own willful misconduct, and he had a combined schedular disability evaluation of 80% due to service-connected disabilities. However, he did not have a total disability rating for 10 years prior to his death, nor was he entitled to a total disability based on individual unemployability for 10 years prior to his death.