Parkinson's disease decisions — 2015

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's Parkinson's disease first manifested during his active duty service, and therefore grants service connection for Parkinson's disease.

The Veteran's Parkinson's disease is granted service connection, as it is presumed to be due to herbicide exposure during his active duty.

The Board has determined that further development is needed, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling the Veteran for a VA examination to determine if his Parkinson's Disease disability may be related to service. The case will be returned to the Board after this development.

The Veteran's Parkinson's disease is presumed to have been incurred in service due to exposure to Agent Orange, and the Board grants this claim.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for Parkinson's disease due to herbicide exposure, specifically Agent Orange exposure in Guam during his military service, is being remanded for additional development including a VA examination and review of medical records.

The Veteran's Parkinson's disease and related neurological defects of the right upper extremity with hand tremors, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, and cognitive difficulties have been granted initial ratings. The current rating for neurological defects of the right upper extremity is 40 percent, effective December 23, 2011.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions are not related to his military service and have denied all of his claims for service connection.

The Veteran was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and dementia, both linked to exposure at Camp Lejeune. However, the Board found no direct service connection due to lack of evidence.,The cause of death listed as end-stage dementia is not related to service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's Parkinson's disease has been granted service connection, and he is currently receiving a 10 percent disability rating for his degenerative arthritis of the right knee. The RO also granted separate compensable ratings for limitation of flexion and extension of the left hip.

The Board has determined that the Veteran was exposed to herbicides during service and his Parkinson's disease, residuals of prostate cancer, and ischemic heart disease are related to such exposure. The claims for these conditions have been granted.

The Veteran was granted service connection for Parkinson's disease and assigned a combined rating of 70 percent effective December 27, 2005. The effective date is not specified as it falls within the one-year period prior to receipt of his TDIU claim.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for Parkinson's disease is being remanded due to the need for additional medical evidence and a VA examination.

The Board finds that the Veteran did not have chronic symptoms of bilateral sensorineural hearing loss during service and has not had continuous symptoms since service. The current bilateral sensorineural hearing loss disability is not causally or etiologically related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected Parkinson's disease is found to have contributed substantially to his cause of death, and thus the claim for service connection for cause of death is granted.

The Veteran's Parkinson's disease, along with its associated upper and lower extremity motor impairments and stooped posture, was granted an initial rating of 50 percent effective March 10, 1994.

The Board has granted service connection for Parkinson's disease, finding it presumed to be related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides while serving in the Korean DMZ.

The Veteran's death was caused by an accidental overdose of medication prescribed for his service-connected PTSD, which is considered a principal cause of death. The appeal for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 is now moot due to the grant of service connection for the cause of death.

The Veteran seeks service connection for Parkinson's disease, which he claims is due to herbicide exposure during his military service in Korea. The Board finds that the Veteran does not have presumptive exposure based on his service dates and requests additional information from official sources regarding potential herbicide exposure prior to April 1, 1968.

The Board granted the appellant's claims for service connection for Parkinson's disease, as an accrued benefit and as the cause of the Veteran's death. The decision was based on exposure to herbicides in service.