Parkinson's disease decisions — 2020

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent, but no higher. The Board has remanded cases for service connection of various conditions claimed as secondary to herbicide agent exposure.

The Board has found that there has not been substantial compliance with its August 2019 remand directives and requires another VA examination to determine the relationship between the Veteran's service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder with alcohol dependence and his Parkinson's disease, as well as the impact of these conditions on his ability to work.

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 Veteran's service connection for coronary artery disease is granted, while his claim for Parkinson's disease and a respiratory disability (COPD and asthma) is denied. The case is remanded to obtain an opinion on the etiology of the Veteran's respiratory condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for Parkinson’s disease was denied due to lack of evidence linking the condition to his active service. The claim for SMC based on need for aid and attendance and/or housebound status was also denied as there is no evidence showing he requires regular assistance or is bedridden.

The appeal for a compensable rating for Wolf-Parkinson-White syndrome is dismissed, and the case is remanded for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine.

The Veteran's cause of death, Parkinson's disease, is considered to be due to his service in Thailand where he was likely exposed to herbicide agents. The Board granted service connection for the cause of death.

The Board granted an effective date of August 28, 2015 for the assignment of a 20 percent rating for bilateral lower extremity tremor, bradykinesia, muscle rigidity, stiffness, and balance impairment due to Parkinson’s disease.

The Board denied DIC benefits based on service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to lack of evidence linking Parkinson's disease, a condition diagnosed post-service, to his military service.

The Board has remanded the cases due to uncertainty about the Veteran's exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam and his service on ships within 12 nautical miles of the coast. The VA will need to determine if he served in these areas and obtain relevant ship logs.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for Parkinson’s Disease is remanded due to insufficient evidence of herbicide exposure and the need for a VA examination.

The Veteran's Parkinson's disease, presumed service-connected due to in-service herbicide exposure, was the immediate cause of his death. Service connection for cause of death is granted. The claim for DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 is dismissed as moot.

The Board denied service connection for Multiple System Atrophy (also claimed as Parkinson's disease) for purposes of retroactive accrued benefits because the Veteran only had clinically and pathologically distinct Multiple System Atrophy, not a variant of Parkinson's disease.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient information on whether the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents in Vietnam. The appellant contends that the Veteran's diabetes and Parkinson's disease contributed to his death, which is a cause of death not covered by presumptive service connection.

The Veteran's increased disability rating for Depression Disorder due to Parkinson’s disease is granted, with a maximum schedular rating of 70 percent.