The Board has restored service connection for Parkinson’s disease, finding that the severance was improper due to conflicting evidence regarding the diagnosis and its relation to Agent Orange exposure.
The deciding factor: There is conflicting evidence as to whether the Veteran has Parkinsonism or essential tremor rather than Parkinson's disease, but there is also probative evidence that the diagnosis, even if not Parkinson’s disease, is related to his presumed Agent Orange exposure in Vietnam.
- Claimed conditions
- Parkinsonism, essential tremor
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 30, 2020
- Citation
- 20007781
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for Parkinson's disease/parkinsonism, a gastrointestinal disorder, a speech disorder, and essential tremor due to an inadequate VA examination.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for essential tremor, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor and finding that her essential tremor is etiologically related to service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew all appeals, including those for service connection and higher ratings for various conditions.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to service-connected Parkinsonism, upper and lower extremity disorders associated with Parkinsonism, and PTSD with unspecified neurocognitive disorder.
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