Vertigo & vestibular disorders decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for acquired psychiatric disabilities, Meniere's disease, cervical spine disability, left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, and lumbosacral spine disability due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's complete service treatment records are not available.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for vertigo as a residual of traumatic brain injury and bilateral hearing loss has been granted. The case is remanded for further consideration regarding the Veteran's TDIU claim.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, Meniere's disease, diabetes, tendonitis of the right wrist, mild osteoarthritis of the left knee, and mild osteoarthritis of the right knee, prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment prior to November 6, 2015. The Board has granted a TDIU based on these service-connected disabilities.

Service connection for erectile dysfunction as secondary to back impairment is granted.,An initial rating of 30 percent, but no greater, for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is granted.

The Veteran's initial 30 percent rating for service-connected Meniere's disease is granted, but the compensable ratings under Diagnostic Codes 6204 and 6205 are discontinued effective from December 29, 2020.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for fibromyalgia, effective date prior to September 30, 2013 for a 70 percent rating for PTSD with TBI, and compensable ratings for right and left lower extremity internal saphenous nerve reflex sympathetic dystrophy were denied. The claim for ratings in excess of 10 percent for right and left sciatic nerve reflex sympathetic dystrophy prior to January 25, 2018 and from that date was also denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable, and the appeal is denied.,The Veteran's lumbar strain with lumbar muscle spasm requires additional development to determine if there are any functional limitations or flare-ups that affect his ability to work.,Service connection for left lower extremity neuropathy and right lower extremity neuropathy is remanded due to lack of evidence of peripheral neuropathy at the time of examination.,Service connection for dizziness and vertigo (secondary to service-connected traumatic brain injury) is remanded as there was no radiculopathy findings during the lumbar spine examinations.,Dizziness and vertigo secondary to TBI requires additional development to determine if it is related to his service-connected conditions.

The Board has granted the Veteran's requests to readjudicate claims for service connection for various conditions, including headaches, vertigo, left thumb disability, tailbone disability, cervical spine disability, and lumbar spine disability. Service connection is granted for a traumatic brain injury (TBI) as well as headaches secondary to TBI.

The Board has remanded the case due to duty-to-assist errors, including a lack of an opinion on whether the dizziness is related to active service and whether it was aggravated by the service-connected bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for migraine headaches, peripheral vestibular disorder (PVD), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and empty sella syndrome (ESS) are all granted. The grants are based on direct service connection.,Service connection is established for migraine headaches, PVD, GERD secondary to hypogonadism post pituitary microadenoma with obesity as an intermediate step, and ESS secondary to the same condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for TBI, hypertension, right ear hearing loss, Meniere's disease, tinnitus, migraines, and neurocardiogenic syncope. The AOJ implemented this decision in a June 2023 rating decision.

The Board granted service connection for TBI and associated conditions, including anxiety, migraines, Meniere's disease, tinnitus, and neurocardiogenic syncope. The effective date was set at July 16, 2012, with SMC-T awarded as of November 14, 2019.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for dizziness and BPPV, finding that there is no causal relationship between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations to determine current disability levels.

The Veteran's service connection claim for TBI residuals, including headaches and benign positional vertigo, is granted. The Board found that the Veteran had a TBI event during service which resulted in current TBI residuals.