Epilepsy & seizure disorders decisions — 2018

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection of a seizure disorder due to new evidence submitted since January 1954. The issue is now remanded for further development.,The Veteran’s claims for service connection of erectile dysfunction, headaches, and depressive disorder as secondary to his seizure disorder are also being remanded.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his lumbar spine degenerative disc disease with loss of lumbar lordosis is denied. The claims for service connection for neck disorder, seizures, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are remanded. A TDIU is granted beginning no later than August 15, 2012.

The Board has decided that the claims of entitlement to service connection for a stroke and seizure disorder must be remanded due to the need to decide the DIC claim first and provide an addendum medical opinion regarding whether the service-connected heart disease caused or aggravated these conditions.

The Veteran's skin cancer, hypertension, and epilepsy are not service-connected due to the lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.,Bilateral hearing loss is also remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's claim for a 100 percent rating for residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI) is granted for the entire claim period. The appeal for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is dismissed as moot due to the grant of a 100 percent rating.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for Hepatitis C, a seizure disorder, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD), and right ear hearing loss. However, the evidence does not establish that these conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for epilepsy, grand mal seizures was denied due to lack of new and material evidence. The Board also found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for PTSD as his in-service stressors were deemed insufficient under the DSM-V criteria. His claim for service connection for Generalized Anxiety Disorder is remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's seizure disorder was rated at 10 percent prior to January 14, 2004 and increased to 30 percent from January 14, 2004 to August 21, 2012. From August 21, 2012, the Veteran's seizure disorder was rated at 70 percent.

Service connection is granted for a headache disorder and neurological symptoms (including seizures, tics, twitches, and muscle spasms) as related to service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations.,Service connection is denied for a heart disorder.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened due to the introduction of new and material evidence. The appeals are REMANDED for further development.

The Veteran's right and left hip disabilities are rated at 10% each, with no higher ratings due to the extent of limitation of motion.,For his seizure disorder prior to May 31, 2016, a rating in excess of 80% is denied. The evidence does not show more than one major seizure per month as required for an increased rating.,Following May 31, 2016, the Veteran's seizure disorder warrants no higher than a 40% rating. There is insufficient evidence to support a 60% or higher rating.

The Veteran is eligible for financial assistance in purchasing an automobile or adaptive equipment due to his service-connected disabilities, including grand mal epilepsy and bilateral knee degenerative joint disease which have rendered him essentially wheelchair-bound.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected non-epileptic events, complex partial seizures is remanded. Additionally, the TDIU claim due to service-connected disabilities is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to a failure by VA to obtain relevant records from the California Employment Development Department (CEDD) regarding the Veteran's claims since 1971.

The Veteran's claim for a 10 percent rating based on multiple noncompensable service-connected disabilities is denied. The Board has also remanded the issues of service connection for seizure disorder and back disability as secondary to service-connected acquired psychiatric disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.,The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran’s claims of service connection for a right knee disability, seizure disorder, cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, right hip disability, left hip disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, sleep apnea, TBI, headaches, seizure disorder, and an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims as there was a full award of service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity, right upper extremity, and right lower extremity in September 2016. The issues of entitlement to service connection for migraine disorder, seizure disorder, and loss of smell are remanded.

The Board denied service connection for a seizure disorder, finding that the Veteran did not have seizures in service and there is no evidence linking them to his military service. The claim was based on direct service connection rather than any presumption of exposure to herbicides.

The Board denied service connection for various arm and leg disabilities, as well as epilepsy, finding no current diagnoses or evidence of a relationship to service.

The Veteran's major depression is granted as it is proximately due to, aggravated by, or the result of his service-connected seizure disorder.