The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and chronic lumbar pain as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities. The VA is required to obtain medical opinions regarding whether BPPV is due to or aggravated by tinnitus, any individual toxic exposure risk activity, or his right ankle disability.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the provided medical opinions were inadequate and did not address secondary aggravation of the nonservice-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- BPPV, chronic lumbar pain
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 25, 2026
- Citation
- A26017095
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 A26017095.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's BPPV with tinnitus has been granted a 10 percent rating, which is the maximum allowed under the applicable diagnostic codes.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for BPPV was granted effective December 15, 2011. An initial increased rating of 30 percent for BPPV is also granted from that date.,From December 15, 2011 to May 22, 2012, the Veteran's claim for TDIU was granted due to his service-connected conditions preventing him from securing and maintaining a substantially gainful occupation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the cases of entitlement to a separate compensable rating for hearing loss associated with BPPV and chronic nonsuppurative otitis media, and secondary service connection for headaches due to incomplete development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error in the initial decision, requiring further development and an addendum medical opinion.
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