Traumatic brain injury (TBI) decisions — 2017

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) was dismissed because no VA Form 9 was filed after the May 2016 SOC, and there were no allegations of error in the determination.

The Veteran does not have disability manifested from exposure to hydraulic fluid.,An acquired psychiatric disorder is not attributable to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the failure to appear at a scheduled video conference hearing. The issues of service connection for headaches, tinnitus, fracture of the mandible, bilateral hearing loss, and a single 10 percent rating under 38 C.F.R. � 3.324 based on multiple noncompensable service connected disabilities are being remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current disabilities of concussion with memory loss and a traumatic brain injury, right ear hearing loss, or left ear hearing loss. The evidence shows no residuals from the motor vehicle accident in service, and there is insufficient medical opinion to establish a link between any current hearing loss and military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's TBI residuals and acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD and depression, are due to service. As a result, these conditions have been granted service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new TBI examination and readjudication of the issues of service connection for TBI and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Veteran's combined rating for his service-connected conditions is 90%, meeting the criteria for a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has found service connection for residuals of TBI, a psychiatric disability (diagnosed as major depressive disorder), and headaches.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and a VA examination to address the severity of his service-connected nasal fracture residuals. The TDIU claim is also being remanded as it is intertwined with the above-mentioned claims.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and further development is required.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of service connection for a nervous condition, now claimed as mental condition/nervousness to include depression, anxiety and sleeping problems. The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions are addressed in this decision.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for frostbite residuals is denied as there is no evidence of in-service frostbite and the current symptoms are more likely due to bilateral knee degenerative joint disease (DJD).

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to failure to schedule VA examinations. The case is now back before the Board.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him incapable of obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for frostbite and cold injury residuals, finding that new evidence supports a diagnosis of cold injury residuals related to military service. The Veteran is now granted service connection for these conditions.

The Board has remanded this case for additional development, including securing medical records and scheduling an examination. The Veteran requested a hearing but did not attend it.

The Veteran's service-connected Traumatic Brain Injury has rendered him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment since October 16, 2008. The Board finds that an extraschedular total disability rating based on individual unemployability is warranted for this period.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for residuals of TBI was denied, but he received a noncompensable rating for PTSD. The decision did not address service connection for grinding teeth or peripheral neuropathy.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for residuals of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) with coma, including memory loss, headaches, concentration problems, light sensitivity, and depression. The VA examiner will be asked to determine if these conditions are related to the in-service fall from two stories.