Parkinson's disease decisions — 2013

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. The Board does not have jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this claim.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining his personnel file and VA treatment records.

The Board granted service connection for Parkinson's disease, finding that the Veteran was exposed to herbicides during his military service in Vietnam and that he currently has this condition. The rating assigned is 30%.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, Parkinson's disease, essential tremors, and a pulmonary disorder due to lack of evidence showing exposure to herbicide agents during service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's Parkinson's disease began during his period of military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if his Parkinson's disease is related to service.

The Board is remanding the case to obtain a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities contributed to his death from aspiration pneumonia, dysphagia and advanced Parkinson's disease. The appellant must be provided proper notice as required by Hupp v. Nicholson.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA medical records and a VA examination to assess the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his employability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for Parkinson's disease and a pulmonary disability, to include COPD, were denied. The claim for increased rating of bilateral hearing loss was also denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension and atypical Parkinson's disease due to incomplete VA treatment records, lack of adequate medical opinions regarding causation, and need for further development.

The Veteran's cause of death was due to aspiration pneumonia, which is not service-connected. The Board finds no pending claim for service connection at the time of his death.

The Veteran's Parkinson's disease, characterized by peripheral neuropathy and diminished facial strength, was granted an initial disability rating of 30 percent effective June 23, 2003. The associated neurological residuals were also rated accordingly.

The Veteran's Parkinson's disease was not incurred in service and is unrelated to exposure to ionizing radiation. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding of service connection for this condition.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, Parkinson's disease, and sleep apnea are remanded due to a lack of evidence regarding herbicide exposure in Vietnam.

The Veteran died of Parkinson's disease and coronary artery disease, which were not service-connected. The Board found that his service-connected dysentery did not cause or contribute to his death.

The Veteran's anxiety and depression, as well as his Parkinson's disease with bladder control problem and peripheral neuropathy are presumed to be related to service due to exposure to herbicide agents during active military service.

The Veteran is entitled to a certificate of eligibility for specially adapted housing due to his service-connected disabilities, but not for a home adaptation grant as he is already eligible for the former.

The Board found that the Veteran's Parkinsonism and Truncal Ataxia did not have their onset in service or within one year of discharge, and were not due to exposure to contaminated drinking water during his military service. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's death in December 2003 was not caused by VA negligence or carelessness, and therefore denied DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by or a result of his service-connected alopecia disability, and there is no evidence showing that Parkinson's disease and hypertension were incurred in or aggravated by active military service. The Board therefore denies the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.