Parkinson's disease decisions — 2017

The Board found that the Veteran's Parkinson's disease is not related to his military service, including as due to an in-service head injury or exposure to Agent Orange. The claim was denied on a direct basis.

The Board finds that the Veteran's service on a deep-water naval vessel in waters off the shore of Vietnam does not constitute service in the Republic of Vietnam, and thus cannot establish presumptive exposure to herbicides. However, it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's Parkinson's disease was incurred during his active duty service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling VA examinations. The Veteran's claims will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for heart disability, diabetes mellitus, tremors, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The evidence did not establish in-service exposure to herbicides or other events that could link these conditions to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for Parkinson's disease, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus were denied as there was no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicides or other causative factors.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diagnosed Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) is equivalent to Parkinson's disease and therefore presumptively related to herbicide exposure during his active duty service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for Parkinson's disease has been reopened and granted due to his exposure to herbicides during service, leading to a diagnosis of the condition.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have Parkinson's disease or ischemic heart disease due to exposure to herbicides during service. The claims were denied.

The Veteran's appeal was granted, with a 100% rating for neuropsychiatric impairment due to PTSD from May 24, 2013. The effective date of September 9, 2002 for service connection for PTSD remains unchanged.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need to obtain his unit records and determine if he was exposed to herbicides during service. If exposure is confirmed, further development will be required.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection and a total rating based on individual unemployability is being considered in a separate decision. The Veteran requested a video hearing, but it has not been scheduled yet.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine if the Veteran was exposed to herbicides or pesticides in Guam, which could potentially establish service connection for Parkinson's disease and ischemic heart disease. The case is being remanded for this purpose.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and inadequate medical opinions regarding the cause of death. The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is alleged to have contributed to his failure to thrive, cardiovascular conditions, and ultimately his death.