The Veteran's appeal for service connection for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, including as secondary to tinnitus, is remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The AOJ must obtain medical opinions addressing the nature and etiology of the Veteran's vertigo disability.
The deciding factor: The opinion regarding secondary service connection was insufficient for a clear and informed determination to be rendered regarding the theory of secondary service connection, as it did not address causation or aggravation separately.
- Claimed conditions
- benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, dizziness
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 20, 2024
- Citation
- A24085400
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 A24085400.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for dizziness to obtain an adequate medical opinion addressing whether it is related to service or a service-connected disability.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, finding that there was no evidence to support a direct link or secondary causation by his service-connected hearing loss and/or tinnitus.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for lumbosacral strain and initial ratings of 30 percent for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, migraines, and hiatal hernia with slight reflux and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) effective September 5, 2018.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board finds that new and relevant evidence has been received sufficient to readjudicate the previously denied claim of service connection for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.
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