Parkinson's disease decisions — 2003

The Board has determined that A. L. O., the appellant's son, is a helpless child of the veteran due to permanent incapacity for self-support prior to attaining the age of 18 years.

The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by VA treatment, and denied his claim for DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The veteran's PTSD with anxiety and depressive disorders are rated at 70 percent, the maximum schedular rating. The Board also granted a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The service-connected disabilities did not cause or contribute to the veteran's death from dementia due to Parkinson's disease.

The veteran died from cardiopulmonary arrest due to advanced stage of Parkinson's disease and aspiration pneumonia. The cause of death is not attributable to service-connected conditions.

The Board has granted a 60 percent evaluation for essential tremors with Parkinsonian features secondary to head trauma effective July 29, 1993. The appellant disagrees with the earlier effective date and rating assigned.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome, finding that it was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service and is not related to an undiagnosed illness.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for secondary service connection for Parkinson's disease and dementia, which were claimed as related to a shrapnel wound of the right forehead above the eye. The case is being remanded due to issues with notification under the VCAA.

The VA denied the appellant's claim for VA death benefits as a surviving spouse of the veteran, citing her failure to meet the requirement of continuous cohabitation from the time of marriage to the time of the veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of adequate notice and time for response under the Veterans Claims Assistance Act (VCAA). The veteran is given until January 16, 2003 to respond with additional evidence or waive the one-year period.

The veteran's service-connected Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, status-post conduction correction, is not productive of an auriculoventricular block and currently results in only minimal disability. The veteran can achieve METs of 9 on exercise tolerance tests.

The Board denied service connection for Parkinson's disease, finding that the veteran does not have Parkinson's disease that began in service or is related to his active service.

The Board has determined that the appellant's disabilities, including Parkinson's disease and degenerative joint diseases of the left knee and hip, prevent her from protecting herself from daily environmental hazards. Therefore, she meets the criteria for special monthly pension based on need for aid and attendance.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for endometriosis with pelvic pain and whether new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen her claim for Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.

The Board found no evidence of a service connection for the veteran's current condition, as his tachycardia and Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome were not shown to have been caused by any incident or event of active service.