Epilepsy & seizure disorders decisions — 2025

The Board granted an initial rating of 80 percent for tonic clonic seizures, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.

The Board granted service connection for type 2 diabetes mellitus, right and left upper and lower extremity idiopathic polyneuropathy, effective from April 20, 2015. The seizure disorder claim was remanded.

The Veteran was granted a 20 percent rating for epilepsy, psychomotor and service connection for right middle finger scar. Several claims were withdrawn and dismissed.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 40 percent for the Veteran's service-connected TBI with cognitive disorder and status post seizure prophylaxis with vertigo.

The Board denied service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome of the right and left wrist, a seizure disorder, an inguinal hernia, an acquired psychiatric disability, and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection for a traumatic brain injury and remanded the claim for service connection for a seizure disorder.

The Board denied service connection for a seizure disorder, headache disorder, and acquired psychiatric disorder as the evidence did not support a direct or secondary relationship to military service.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection for a headache condition, residuals of a traumatic brain injury (TBI), fatigue condition, and seizure condition due to procedural defects in the modernized review system.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for TBI residuals (to include headaches, fatigue, and seizures) for accrued benefits purposes to obtain a retrospective etiological opinion.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for epileptic seizures and migraine headaches, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating under the applicable criteria.

The Board granted an effective date of January 18, 2022, for the grant of service connection for epilepsy/seizure disorder and a 40 percent rating.

The Board granted service connection for cyst tumor on pineal gland effective October 1, 2024, and denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for epilepsy. Service connection was also granted for bruxism and urinary incontinence as secondary to epilepsy, while right hip pain was denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 10 percent for his seizure disorder and entitlement to a total rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) as there was no evidence showing that he had experienced at least one major seizure in the last two years or two minor seizures in the last six months, which would warrant a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 8911. The Board also found that his combined disability rating did not meet the criteria for TDIU.

The Board denied higher ratings for migraine headaches and TBI, granted a 20 percent rating for grand mal epilepsy prior to January 23, 2024, and a 70 percent rating for TBI from April 17, 2024. It also restored the separate evaluation for TBI and granted a 100 percent rating for PTSD and schizoaffective disorder.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD was granted a 100 percent rating from February 14, 2023, and increased ratings were granted for his diabetic peripheral neuropathy in the lower extremities.

The Board granted a separate 30 percent rating for vertigo as a residual of the service-connected post-traumatic seizure disorder and remanded issues related to a higher rating for the seizure disorder and service connection for a sleep-related disorder.

The Board remands the claim for a medical opinion regarding the etiology of a neurobehavioral disorder, diagnosed as seizures, to determine if it was caused or aggravated by service-connected renal mass with voiding dysfunction or migraine headaches.

The appeal for whether new and relevant evidence has been received to readjudicate a claim of service connection for a seizure disorder, to include as secondary to service-connected concussions with headaches, was dismissed.

The Board remands the claims for a rating in excess of 40 percent for seizure disorder and a rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD with MDD due to inadequate VA examinations.

The Board remands the issues of entitlement to a higher rating for TBI and conversion disorder, as well as a TDIU prior to October 6, 2009, due to the need for additional medical clarification.