Epilepsy & seizure disorders Board decisions

The Veteran's recurrent headaches are due to his service-connected depressive disorder, not otherwise specified associated with status post reverse total right shoulder replacement. The Board has granted service connection for this condition and is now remanding the issues of sleep apnea, carpal tunnel syndrome (left wrist), carpal tunnel syndrome (right wrist), and seizure disorder as secondary to these conditions.

The Veteran's service connection claims for epileptic seizures and traumatic brain injury (TBI) are granted. The Board found that the onset of both conditions occurred during service, with no pre-service issues or other causes.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were dismissed due to their death. The Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of these appeals.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a seizure disorder and TDIU prior to August 10, 2022 is denied. However, from January 29, 2016 to August 10, 2022, the Veteran was granted TDIU on an extraschedular basis due to PTSD and tinnitus.

The Veteran's TBI is rated at 10 percent, and the Board has remanded to determine if he should receive a higher rating. The issue of whether he qualifies for total disability due to service-connected disabilities prior to October 18, 2019, is also being remanded.

The Veteran's residuals of TBI, PTSD with memory loss, seizures, IBS, tinnitus, and rhinitis have led to a need for regular aid and attendance. The Board has determined that the Veteran requires assistance in eating, personal hygiene including toileting and showering, and medication management due to his service-connected conditions. Therefore, SMC based on aid and attendance is granted.

The Board denied service connection for a seizure disorder as there was no current disability found, and the Veteran's subjective complaints were not supported by objective evidence.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for a seizure disorder, hypertension, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (recharacterized) due to insufficient evidence.

The appeal is dismissed as the Veteran did not file a valid Notice of Disagreement and all issues have been addressed in prior decisions.

The Veteran's thalamic injury and resulting disabilities are the result of a non-VA procedure performed at MUSC. The Board finds that VA may have proximately caused this treatment by referring the Veteran to MUSC for care, but the evidence is incomplete regarding whether VA specifically referred him or if additional records need to be obtained.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for her knee conditions and TDIU have been dismissed as she has withdrawn them. The Board finds that the Veteran is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to her service-connected disabilities from May 10, 2010.

The Veteran was granted service connection for asthma secondary to a service-connected condition (rhinitis).,Service connection was also granted for the aggravation of hypertension, chronic kidney disease, obstructive sleep apnea, and headaches due to service-connected conditions.

The Board has granted a 40 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected seizure disorder, finding that he averaged at most 5 minor seizures per week during the appeal period.

The Veteran's headaches are rated at 50% and his seizure disorder is rated at 20%. The Board also granted TDIU based on the combined effect of these service-connected conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's seizure disorder is secondary to his service-connected PTSD. The claim will be reviewed again with additional medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to scheduling issues and incomplete information regarding his employment history.

The Veteran's epilepsy is currently rated at 40 percent, and his back disability is rated at 20 percent prior to October 23, 2019, and 40 percent since that date. The appeals for increased evaluations are denied.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to epilepsy, generalized tonic convulsions (previously shown as seizure disorder, NOS), with obesity as an intermediate step.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and its residuals, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service head injury or TBI. The Court vacated the decision due to inadequate examination reports.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to insufficient development of the evidence, including inadequate VA medical opinions and conflicting findings regarding in-service toxic exposure risk activities.