BVA decisions by condition
Peripheral vestibular disorders: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2017 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a peripheral vestibular disorders issue in 4,924 decisions. It granted the peripheral vestibular disorders issue in 19.2% of them, close to the 19.4% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 27.3%, and remanded it in 52.0%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 41.3% were granted.
Decisions
4,924
2017–2026
Granted
19.2%
All conditions: 19.4%
Granted on the merits
41.3%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
52.0%
Denied: 27.3%
Peripheral vestibular disorders outcomes by year
| Year | Issues decided | Granted | Denied | Remanded | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 344 | 12.5% | 36.3% | 44.8% | 6.4% |
| 2018 | 498 | 13.3% | 32.5% | 51.2% | 3.0% |
| 2019 | 556 | 13.3% | 28.1% | 55.9% | 2.7% |
| 2020 | 482 | 16.6% | 30.7% | 51.2% | 1.5% |
| 2021 | 519 | 15.2% | 24.9% | 59.0% | 1.0% |
| 2022 | 526 | 16.7% | 25.1% | 56.7% | 1.5% |
| 2023 | 563 | 21.3% | 19.4% | 57.9% | 1.4% |
| 2024 | 590 | 22.7% | 24.6% | 51.2% | 1.5% |
| 2025 | 665 | 26.5% | 27.4% | 45.1% | 1.1% |
| 2026 | 269 | 33.1% | 25.3% | 40.5% | 1.1% |
Each row counts issues (each condition the Board decided), so the shares add up to 100%. Other: dismissed, withdrawn or no clear outcome. Years with fewer than 50 issues are left out.
Evidence in granted and denied peripheral vestibular disorders decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the peripheral vestibular disorders issue on the merits when the decision mentioned it, compared with decisions that did not. These are associations, not causes, and evidence is recorded per decision, not per issue.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positive nexus opinion | 834 | 70.1% | 31.9% | +38.2 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 671 | 69.0% | 33.9% | +35.1 pts |
| Treating physician opinion | 215 | 65.6% | 40.0% | +25.6 pts |
| Buddy statement | 120 | 54.1% | 41.0% | +13.1 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 1,460 | 49.7% | 37.0% | +12.7 pts |
| Claimed as secondary | 1,819 | 49.5% | 38.2% | +11.3 pts |
| Combat service | 242 | 49.6% | 40.9% | +8.7 pts |
| Lay statement | 3,877 | 40.7% | 44.6% | −3.9 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 71.0% of the decisions that granted peripheral vestibular disorders.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 37.1% of grants and 12.5% of denials.
Negative evidence in the record
An unfavorable exam or a negative nexus opinion often sits in the same record as favorable evidence, and the Board weighs them against each other. So these rows show how often peripheral vestibular disorders was still granted when the record contained the negative item, not that the item helped.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unfavorable VA exam | 3,655 | 39.9% | 47.6% | −7.7 pts |
| Negative nexus opinion | 2,648 | 35.9% | 48.1% | −12.2 pts |
Peripheral vestibular disorders claimed as a secondary condition
Decisions where peripheral vestibular disorders was claimed as secondary to another service-connected disability (38 CFR 3.310), by that disability.
Why the Board granted or denied peripheral vestibular disorders
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established106
- Caused by the service-connected disability50
- Service connection established22
- In-service noise exposure conceded14
- Continuity of symptomatology since service13
- Already at the maximum schedular rating12
- Criteria for service connection met11
- Aggravated by the service-connected disability10
Most common reasons in denials
- No current diagnosis180
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim137
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis136
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service126
- Service records negative or silent101
- Current diagnosis established93
- Already at the maximum schedular rating56
- Criteria for service connection not met41
Numbers are decisions that gave the reason. Reasons are short phrases extracted by AI from each decision; common wordings of the same reason are grouped. Benefit of the doubt is reported above.
Recent peripheral vestibular disorders decisions
Granted
Service treatment records confirm in-service head injury.; VA examiner opined vertigo more likely than not related to in-service head injury.; Evidence in relative equipoise; doubt resolved in Veteran's favor.
Veteran's testimony regarding vertigo, dizziness, nausea, and staggering is credible.; Symptoms are consistent with dizziness and occasional staggering under DC 6204.; A separate 30 percent rating is warranted as the highest schedular rating.
Criteria for service connection met.
Denied
Veteran already receiving maximum 30% rating; Symptoms consistent with maximum rating criteria; Evidence weighed against higher rating
No new and relevant evidence submitted since prior denial; No treatment records for condition found in permissible evidentiary period; Evidence weighs against the claim
Evidence persuasively weighs against claim for rating in excess of 10 percent.; No approximate balance of evidence, benefit-of-the-doubt rule does not apply.; VA examinations noted dizziness but not staggering.
Rules that apply to peripheral vestibular disorders claims
- 38 CFR 3.303
Principles of service connection
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.310
Secondary service connection and aggravation
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.102
Reasonable doubt (benefit of the doubt)
Read it in VA Law Explorer
Research your peripheral vestibular disorders case
Narrow by year, judge, evidence or secondary condition, read the decisions, and export a research memo.
How these numbers are calculated
- Rates count decisions in which the Board decided a peripheral vestibular disorders issue, by the outcome of that issue. Other issues in the same decision can have different outcomes.
- “Granted on the merits” leaves out remands and dismissals. “All conditions” is the grant share across every condition issue in the data.
- The data comes from CaseScribe's AI extraction of public BVA decisions (2017–2026) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.