Epilepsy & seizure disorders decisions — 2019

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection of seizure disorder due to new and material evidence submitted since the August 2005 rating decision. The case is remanded for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's seizure disorder was related to his military service.

The Veteran's malignant glioma and seizure disability are granted service connection as they were incurred during his military service.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for an apportionment of the Veteran’s VA benefits on behalf of their child, N.P., finding that she has not demonstrated financial hardship and that the Veteran was reasonably discharging his responsibility to support N.P.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to new and material evidence having been received. The claims are now pending before the AOJ for further development.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection of head trauma residuals and a seizure disorder due to head trauma because the Veteran died during the appeal process.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his claim of entitlement to service connection for residuals of heat stroke, including memory loss and/or epilepsy, is granted. The claim of entitlement to a compensable evaluation for hearing loss is denied.

The Board has denied service connection for epilepsy and remanded the issues of service connection for dizziness and fainting spells, as well as an acquired psychiatric disorder. The Veteran's epilepsy is not currently diagnosed, while his dizziness and fainting spells are presumed to be due to Meniere's syndrome and chronic ischemic microvascular white matter disease. His acquired psychiatric disorder includes major depressive disorder, anxiety, and adjustment disorder.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are remanded due to incomplete service records and additional relevant evidence being associated with the record.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for multiple sclerosis, Wegener’s granulomatosis, seizures, bladder retention, and prostate cancer are remanded due to the need for additional medical records and a VA opinion.

The Veteran's epilepsy disability is being remanded for further evaluation and consideration of new evidence.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to additional medical records being added to the Veteran's claims file after the May 2019 Supplemental Statement of the Case. The AOJ needs to review these new records and issue a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC).

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for a seizure disorder, finding that there was no clear and unmistakable evidence showing the condition existed prior to service and that it did not worsen during service. The opinion provided by the VA examiner in October 2017 supported this conclusion.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for brain disability, seizures, heart disability, and throat cancer. The decision found no current diagnoses or in-service occurrences that would support these claims.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including seizure disorder, PTSD, and chronic migraine headaches, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU based on the severity of his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's service connection claim for residuals of a head injury, including seizures, and his request for an increased rating for right eye diplopia have both been denied by the Board.

The Veteran's service connection claim for residuals of TBI, aside from headaches, is remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and missing service personnel records.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for irritable colon syndrome, chorea with seizures and convulsions (previously claimed as epilepsy), myasthenia gravis, and sleep apnea due to insufficient evidence regarding current diagnoses or persistent symptoms. The Veteran's representative asserts that his neurological symptoms are related to his migraines and psychiatric disorders.

The Board has ordered remand for a new VA examination to address the impact of service-connected disabilities on the Veteran's ability to dress, undress, and attend to personal hygiene needs. Additionally, a TBI examination is needed to determine if the Veteran has residuals from his reported traumatic brain injury (TBI), including a seizure disorder.

The Board has denied service connection for erectile dysfunction and remanded the issues of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen a claim for service connection for a bilateral eye disability, low back disability, headaches, hepatitis C, acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as PTSD and depression), and seizure disorder.

The Board has decided to remand two issues: service connection for seizures secondary to a service-connected TBI and the increased rating for a TBI. The Veteran needs new examinations due to his testimony of increased symptoms and treatment records since February 2017.