Vertigo & vestibular disorders decisions — 2023

The Board has granted service connection for left knee disability, right knee disability, dermatitis, sinusitis, and allergic rhinitis. Service connection was denied for vertigo, acquired psychiatric disorder (including anxiety, depression, and PTSD), and dermatitis.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's vestibular disability, including vertigo and dizziness. The decision is based on a finding that this condition is at least as likely as not related to his military service, specifically his head injury in June 1971.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on multiple conditions was dismissed due to the withdrawal of his claim for PTSD, to include schizophrenia. The remaining claims were denied as there is no persuasive evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current vestibular dysfunction is related to in-service acoustic trauma and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's headaches associated with otitis media are granted a 10 percent evaluation, effective from the date of this decision.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and vertigo disabilities due to outstanding VA treatment records and failure to notify the Veteran about non-VA medical providers' inability to provide records.

The Board denied service connection for atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, cervical spine disorder, back disorder (likely thoracolumbar spine), carpal tunnel syndrome, and vertigo as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected fibromyalgia. The claims were remanded for further development.

The Veteran's vertigo is granted as secondary to his service-connected tinnitus. The initial compensable rating for hemorrhoids prior to April 20, 2019 has been granted. A 10 percent rating is assigned from April 20, 2019 onwards.,An effective date of January 28, 2014, is granted for the 40 percent disability rating for fibromyalgia. The Veteran's right knee disability and sinusitis are denied initial ratings in excess of their current ratings.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for multiple sclerosis and associated upper and lower extremity disorders, as well as muscle pain and spasticity disorder, vertigo, intermittent fecal incontinence not otherwise specified (bowel problems, gastrointestinal problems), neurogenic bladder disorder, and cervical spine disorder. The reasons for this are that there is insufficient evidence to determine the etiology of these conditions or whether they are related to service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical evidence regarding whether the Veteran's Meniere's disease was caused or aggravated by his service, including in-service acoustic trauma. The VA will obtain an opinion on causation and aggravation.

The Veteran's initial disability rating for specified psychiatric disorders, to include other specified trauma and stressor related disorder and adjustment like disorder, is granted at a 10 percent level. Service connection for bilateral Meniere's disease, traumatic brain injury, and posttraumatic stress disorder are denied.

The Veteran's claim for Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) from March 27, 2014 to May 12, 2014 is denied because there was no factually ascertainable increase in disability or change of employment status within the applicable time frame.

The Veteran's bilateral ankle and knee disorders were not shown as chronic in service, did not manifest to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period, and continuity of symptomatology is not established. The Board denied these claims.,The Veteran's vertigo was not shown as chronic in service or related to an in-service injury, event, or disease. The Board denied this claim.,The Veteran did not have a diagnosis of fatigue at any time during the pendency of the claim and had not had one recent to the filing of the claim. The Board denied this claim.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient verification of his periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, and INACDUTRA. The AOJ is instructed to identify all such periods and obtain additional service treatment records.

The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable disability rating for TBI other than headaches and vertigo is being remanded due to the failure of the RO to schedule an examination as per previous Board directives.