Epilepsy & seizure disorders Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for low back strain. The remaining claims are remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various conditions including diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, hypertension, stroke, depression, peripheral neuropathy of the lower and upper extremities, arthritis, grand mal seizures, erectile dysfunction, kidney disorder, and lung disorder due to exposure to herbicides and asbestos. The appellant is required to submit new and material evidence to reopen these claims.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further evaluation of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss, generalized convulsive seizures, and other issues.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's seizure disability. The remaining issues on appeal will be reconsidered after this development is completed.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of a TBI and a seizure disorder, finding that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to the Veteran's in-service head injury. The other issues on appeal have been remanded.

The Board has denied service connection for various conditions, including coronary artery disease with congestive heart failure, posttraumatic stress disorder, prostate cancer, bilateral hearing loss, and diabetes mellitus type II. Service connection was granted for tinnitus.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for seizures and an acquired psychiatric disorder has been reopened, and the claims are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been reopened, but the Board is unable to determine if he currently has a disability for VA purposes due to unreliable audiometry results. The Veteran needs to be scheduled for another VA examination.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of anthrax vaccination remains pending as new evidence suggests his seizure disorder may be related to the vaccine, but further review is needed.

The Board granted service connection for epilepsy effective November 19, 2019 and denied the claim of service connection for psychiatric disability prior to November 9, 2007. The VA pension benefits in the amount of $111,943.00 from December 1, 2007 through July 31, 2017 were also granted.

The Veteran's hypoglycemia and epilepsy, both now service-connected, are granted as secondary to her pre-existing condition of hypoglycemia.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding his claimed conditions, particularly related to exposure in Vietnam. The claims are being returned for further development and examination.

The appeals of the issues of entitlement to service connection for blurred vision, cognitive problems, and seizures have been dismissed.,The reduction of the rating for the Veteran’s right subdural hematoma from 50 percent to 30 percent was not proper; restoration of a 50 percent rating is warranted.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for sleep apnea and seizure disorder due to a lack of medical opinion regarding their onset in service or relation to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for seizures and residuals of a stroke has been reopened, but the Board is unable to grant service connection at this time.,Service connection for abdominal aorta aneurysm (claimed as heart problems) cannot be granted based on the May 2016 letter of Dr. C. M., because the doctor did not link the Veteran’s aneurysm to service, including Agent Orange exposure.,The Board is unable to grant service connection for bilateral upper and lower peripheral neuropathy at this time due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain updated VA treatment records and any outstanding private treatment records concerning the Veteran's multiple cerebral cysts with associated conditions. A new VA medical examination will be scheduled to address whether the Veteran's multiple cerebral cysts are associated with seizures, mental disorders, cognitive decline, or other conditions, their nature (whether they constitute a congenital defect or disease), if there is a superimposed injury or disease during service that has resulted in additional disability, and if the multiple cerebral cysts clearly and unmistakably preexisted service. The Veteran's claim will be readjudicated after these actions.

The appeal of the claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus is dismissed. The claims for a rating in excess of 40 percent for partial complex seizures, service connection for OSA, and hypertension are remanded.

An effective date of September 18, 2013 is granted for the award of a total rating based upon individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) and eligibility for Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for heart disease, stroke with left-sided weakness, a left visual impairment associated with stroke with left-sided weakness, a seizure disorder associated with stroke with left-sided weakness, and a left auditory impairment associated with stroke with left-sided weakness. The claims are now remanded to determine if these conditions were incurred in or caused by service.

The Veteran's epilepsy was rated at 40 percent prior to December 5, 2017, and at 60 percent thereafter. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him incapable of performing the physical and mental acts required by employment prior to January 29, 2015.