The Board found that the appellant's Meniere's disease was not caused by in-service noise exposure or his service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus, and thus denied the claim for secondary service connection.
The deciding factor: The credibility of the appellant's evidentiary assertions concerning events in service and the history of the disability post-service were undermined due to contradictions in his reports. The single documented incident of in-service noise exposure did not cause Meniere's disease.
- Claimed conditions
- Meniere's disease
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 1, 2002
- Citation
- 0215479
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0215479.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for Meniere's disease, to include benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), secondary to tinnitus and dismissed the claims for a left knee disability, right knee disability, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for Meniere's disease, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran and finding that his Meniere's disease was caused by acoustic trauma during military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues of entitlement to an initial disability rating in excess of 30 percent, prior to January 29, 2024, for service-connected Meniere's disease and tinnitus; special monthly compensation (SMC) under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s); and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to January 29, 2024.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an initial 100 percent rating for psychiatric disability and Meniere's disease, but denied SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance.
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