Epilepsy & seizure disorders decisions — 2015

The Board found that the Veteran's cavernous angioma and seizure disorder are not service-connected, as there is no credible evidence of their onset during service or a link to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to conflicting medical examinations regarding the Veteran's memory difficulties and failure to discuss whether he may be entitled to a separate rating for physical problems as a result of his traumatic brain injury (TBI).

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (Generalized Anxiety Disorder) and a seizure disorder. The Veteran's current tinnitus disability is consistent with his in-service noise exposure, raising reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's seizure disorder/blackouts is not related to his service and therefore denied the claim.

The Board has found no evidence of a current diagnosis of seizure disorder and denied the Veteran's claim for service connection based on lack of a current disability. The psychiatric issue remains pending.

The Veteran's conditions do not render him unable to adequately attend to the needs of daily living without the regular aid and attendance of another person, thus he does not meet the criteria for special monthly pension based on the need for regular aid and attendance.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection have been dismissed due to his death while the appeal was pending.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to attempt to locate a police report from the motor vehicle accident of May 15, 1982. The Veteran's claims for service connection will be readjudicated after this development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current seizure disability is caused by his service-connected PTSD, and thus grants service connection for this condition on a secondary basis.

The Veteran's service-connected seizure disorder and post meningioma contributed to his death from lung cancer, which is considered the cause of death. The Board finds that these conditions are related to the cause of death.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection for a traumatic brain injury, a seizure disorder, and tinnitus. The earliest effective date that can be assigned is March 10, 2010.

The Board has vacated its prior decision and reissued a new one, granting an initial rating of 20 percent for the seizure disorder from July 2, 2008 to June 28, 2010. For the period after June 29, 2010, the Veteran's seizure disorder is rated at 60 percent.

The Board finds that it was factually ascertainable that the Veteran's service-connected posttraumatic seizure disorder had increased in severity to warrant a 100% rating as of March 7, 2007. Therefore, an effective date of March 7, 2007 is granted for the award of a 100% disability rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current seizure disorder is not related to his active duty service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.