Parkinson's disease decisions — 2015

The Veteran's service connection claims for ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, type II, and Parkinson's disease are granted as presumptively due to herbicide exposure in the Republic of Vietnam. Service connection is also granted for peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for Parkinson's disease and ischemic heart disease were denied as there was no evidence of a chronic condition in service or within one year after separation, and the current conditions are not related to any incident during service.

The Veteran seeks service connection for kidney cancer and Parkinson's disease, but the evidence does not support a current diagnosis of either condition.,Service connection cannot be established as there is no probative evidence linking the Veteran's diagnosed conditions to his active duty service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for Parkinson's disease, for purposes of retroactive benefits, is being remanded due to the need for additional development and consideration of newly submitted evidence.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to determine the etiology of the Veteran's diabetes mellitus and Parkinson's disease, including whether exposure to Agent Orange is a factor.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, Parkinson's disease, and a kidney disability have been granted. The Board has found that the Veteran was exposed to herbicides during his service in Thailand, presumptively granting service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining his complete personnel records and verifying herbicide exposure. The case will be reviewed after this information is obtained.

The Board has found that the appellant's notice of disagreement was timely filed and is addressing the issues related to earlier effective dates for service connection for Parkinson's disease and anxiety disorder with depressive features. The RO denied these claims, but the appeal is not about service connection at all.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have Parkinson's disease and there is no evidence of a service-connected disability related to his claimed condition. The most probative evidence of record is against a finding that the Veteran has Parkinson's disease.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for Parkinson's disease was granted on March 11, 2011 based on presumed exposure to herbicides. The effective date is set at the date of receipt of the original claim.

The Board granted the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected Parkinson's disease and its associated conditions. The Veteran was awarded an 80 percent rating effective August 3, 2010, for ataxia of both lower extremities, with separate ratings for other related disabilities.

The Veteran's Parkinson's disease and ischemic heart disease are presumed to be related to herbicide exposure in Vietnam, thus service connection is granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for Parkinson's disease, herniated cervical disk, and herniated thoracolumbar disk are being remanded due to the need to obtain additional records from SSA, the Mayo Clinic, Dr. Schwartzman, Dr. Ford (Columbia Presbyterian Hospital), Dr. Waters, Dr. Depolo, and Dr. Rhee.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence was received to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability. The Veteran served in Vietnam, presumptively exposed to herbicides. His current back disability is presumed due to his combat experience in Vietnam.

The Veteran seeks a higher evaluation for his service-connected Parkinson's disease, which is currently rated at 30 percent. The Board has ordered a new VA examination to assess the nature and severity of any residuals of his Parkinson's disease.

The Veteran's condition was stable by May 12, 2010 and he could have been safely transferred to a VA facility for continued treatment. However, there is no evidence that the provider made reasonable attempts to transfer him.

The Board found that the Veteran's Parkinson's disease was not related to his military service and denied the claim for dependency and indemnity compensation based on service connection for the cause of death.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for Parkinson's disease is denied. The Veteran is granted a TDIU based on his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a dental disorder, Parkinson's disease (including dementia), bladder cancer, and duodenal ulcer has been denied. The Board found that the Veteran does not have a compensable dental disability due to in-service trauma or disease resulting in loss of body of maxilla or mandible.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for the cause of death due to new and material evidence. The Veteran's Parkinson's disease, which was related to a shrapnel wound in service, is considered a contributing factor to his death from Progressive Supranuclear Palsy.