Vertigo & vestibular disorders decisions — 2000

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims are well-grounded for chronic fatigue, memory loss, and a psychiatric disability. However, service connection is denied for gastrointestinal and respiratory disabilities due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to military service or an undiagnosed illness.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for service connection for Meniere's disease, secondary to his service-connected tinnitus. The decision states there is no medical evidence linking the veteran's currently diagnosed Meniere's disease to his service-connected tinnitus.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for his service-connected vestibular neuronitis, currently rated at 10 percent.

The Board found the veteran's claim not well grounded as there is no evidence of a chronic psychiatric disability during service and no nexus between current conditions and service.

The Board has determined that the claim of entitlement to service connection for dizziness and vertigo as secondary to otitis media is not well grounded. The veteran's hearing loss, while noted, does not meet the criteria for an initial compensable evaluation. For the period from May 12, 1992 to June 9, 1999, the veteran did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral otitis media and tinnitus. Since June 10, 1999, the veteran's claims for increased evaluations were denied.

The veteran's claim for service connection for his symptoms due to an undiagnosed illness is being remanded for additional development, including a hematologic examination and clarification of the relationship between chronic fatigue syndrome and the veteran's claimed conditions.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a TDIU rating is being remanded due to incomplete medical records. The RO must obtain all relevant treatment records and consider the applicability of the criteria pursuant to 38 C.F.R. § 3.321(b)(1).

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for a nervous disorder, residuals of an eye injury, residuals of a nose injury, and dizziness (vertigo) as his claims were not well-grounded due to lack of competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his period of active service.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a statement of the case on service connection issues and scheduling a Travel Board hearing.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for recognition as the helpless child of her father, finding that she did not submit competent medical evidence to show she was permanently incapable of self-support before reaching age 18.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and Meniere's disease are not service-connected. The RO denied these claims in December 1992 due to lack of evidence connecting them to service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and vertigo, finding that there was no well-grounded evidence to support these claims.

The veteran's unauthorized private hospitalization in March 1995 was denied as it did not involve a service-connected disability or an aggravating nonservice-connected condition.

The Board found that the veteran does not have a chronic headache disability, memory loss, vertigo, or sleep disturbance due to an undiagnosed illness. The claims for these conditions are therefore denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding no evidence of current vertigo or tinnitus disabilities. The cervical sprain was rated as 10 percent disabling.