Vertigo & vestibular disorders decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for vertigo and nystagmus, as these conditions are claimed to be secondary to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran needs additional medical opinions regarding whether his vertigo and nystagmus are aggravated by or due to his service-connected hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted.,Service connection has also been denied for intermittent vertigo (claimed as dizziness balancing issues).

The Board has found the most recent VA medical opinion inadequate and has requested a new independent medical expert (IME) to provide an adequate opinion regarding whether the Veteran's right vestibular dysfunction was caused by or made worse by VA carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill during his July 8, 2011 hospital visit and antibiotic treatment from November 23, 2011 to December 1, 2011.

The Board has granted service connection for a scar on the back of the Veteran's head, finding that it is at least as likely as not caused by an in-service injury.,Service connection was denied for weakness of the left arm and headaches. The examiner opined that these conditions are less likely than not related to service.

The claim of service connection for Meniere's disease is reopened and the appeal is granted. The issue of service connection for Meniere's disease related to service-connected bilateral hearing loss and/or tinnitus is remanded.

The Veteran's Meniere's Syndrome is rated at 30 percent from March 21, 2012 to June 25, 2014. From that date onward, he is rated under DC 6204 for dizziness and staggering.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's claimed vertigo and chronic motion sickness.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depressive disorder, anxiety disorder NOS, and unspecified mild neurocognitive disorder, as well as for vertigo secondary to service-connected bilateral hearing loss and/or tinnitus are all denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of an in-service onset or relationship to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection have been withdrawn and is remanding the issues of entitlement to service connection for vertigo/dizziness, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and a sleep disorder (insomnia).

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, but the cases of bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and dizziness/giddiness are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Veteran's vertigo and right ankle tendonitis have been granted service connection, while BPH, bilateral pes planus, restless leg syndrome, obstructive sleep apnea, low back disorder, headache disorder, erectile dysfunction, neck disorder, right foot gout, left foot bone spur, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are all remanded for further review.

The Veteran's service-connected migraines and BPPV have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU for the period from November 20, 2015. The issue of an increased rating for BPPV is remanded due to marked interference with employment.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records and medical opinions. The issues include psychiatric conditions, gastroenteritis, hepatitis B and C, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, tinnitus, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, bilateral hearing loss, and a right wrist disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient compliance with prior remand directives and a need for further examination.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and vertigo, as the VA examinations did not adequately consider the Veteran's credible lay statements regarding his symptoms.