Parkinson's disease decisions — 2012

The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support the claim that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD caused or contributed substantially to his death from multisystem organ failure. The appellant's lay assertions are not competent medical evidence.

The Veteran's death was caused by paralysis agitans, but the appellant contends that his service-connected PTSD contributed to this condition. The Board has ordered a medical opinion to determine if PTSD aggravated the Veteran's Parkinson's disease.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining private medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the current nature, extent, and severity of his skin disability. The issues of service connection for Parkinson's disease and an increased rating for keloids are also being remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for Parkinson's disease and assigned a 100% disability evaluation for rheumatoid arthritis, effective from the date of the decision. The initial rating period is not specified as it was reopened on new evidence.

The Veteran's service connection claim for PTSD, Parkinson's disease, CAD, glaucoma, kidney disability, sleep apnea, hypertension, and sinusitis is granted due to exposure to herbicides during his service in Vietnam.

The Board has granted service connection for Parkinson's disease on a presumptive basis due to Agent Orange exposure, and also acknowledges the secondary effect of diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's Parkinson's disease was not shown to be related to his military service, and the Board found no evidence of a connection between exposure to jet fuel fumes in service and the development of the condition.

The Veteran's Parkinson's disease is presumed to be due to in-service herbicide exposure, and service connection for this condition has been granted. The claim for TDIU remains pending.

The Veteran's claim for a higher level of special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance is being remanded due to the need for additional examination and opinion from a VA physician.

The Board denied claims for service connection for a respiratory disorder, Parkinson's disease, and arthritis of the back due to lack of competent evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's Parkinson's disease and calcification of the brain likely had onset as a result of his in-service head trauma, leading to service connection for both conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's heart disorder, other than Wolff Parkinson White Syndrome, is not related to his military service and cannot be presumed to have been incurred or aggravated in service. The Board also determined that the heart disorder is not due to, the result of, or aggravated by his service-connected anxiety disorder.

The Board denied service connection for Parkinson's disease, concluding that the evidence did not support a relationship to the Veteran's military service or any pre-existing condition.

The Veteran's cause of death, kidney failure, was found to be related to his service-connected PTSD and the underlying conditions of diabetes mellitus, type II, ischemic heart disease, and cirrhosis of the liver. As these conditions are presumed due to herbicide exposure in Vietnam, service connection for the cause of death is granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's PTSD did not contribute substantially or materially to his death, as evidenced by VA examiners' opinions and medical records. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that service-connected conditions caused or contributed to the cause of death.

The Veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected condition.,There is no evidence that the Veteran's stomach cancer, Alzheimer's disease, or Lewy body disease were related to his military service.