The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (vertigo) as secondary to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, and for a compensable disability rating prior to February 6, 2019 and in excess of 20 percent thereafter for bilateral hearing loss. The remand requires the provision of adequate VA opinions on whether the Veteran's vertigo is caused or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the May 2022 VA opinions were inadequate as they did not provide separate findings and rationales relating to causation and aggravation, and failed to consider the Veteran's contentions regarding the relationship between tinnitus and vertigo. The remand requires a new opinion from the examiner.
- Claimed conditions
- benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (vertigo), bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 20, 2022
- Citation
- 22053311
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 22053311.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
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