Traumatic brain injury (TBI) decisions — 2018

The Veteran's tinnitus is considered to have had its onset during his military service and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.,The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the spine was incurred as a result of in-service duties, specifically parachute jumps. The Board has also granted service connection for this condition.,The Veteran's residuals of frostbite of both feet are considered to have had its onset during his military service and the Board has granted service connection for these conditions.

The Board denied service connection for TBI, claiming it as a concussion, due to the lack of evidence showing a current disability and no in-service injury or incident that could have caused the condition.

The Board has remanded the case for further action due to unresolved issues regarding service connection for Traumatic Brain Injury. The status of Alopecia Areata is unknown.

The rating for the Veteran's TBI was reduced from 40% to 10%, effective August 1, 2010. The reduction was proper due to a clear and unmistakable error in the original grant of 40%. The correct level of severity for one facet (memory, attention, concentration, executive functions) was determined to be '1' rather than '2'.

The Veteran's TBI with vertigo is rated at 70 percent, effective February 6, 2016. A separate rating of 30 percent for vertigo from February 11, 2016 was granted. The Veteran's posttraumatic headaches mixed with migraines are rated at 50 percent.

The Veteran withdrew his increased rating claims for Traumatic Brain Injury and Lumbar Spine Disability before the Board made a decision.

Entitlement to an effective date prior to February 7, 2014 for the grant of service connection for headaches and TBI is denied.,TDIU granted based on service-connected PTSD.

The Board has remanded the claims for residuals of cervical spine fracture, bilateral eye condition, bilateral hearing loss, TBI, headaches, weakness on left side of body, and acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) due to outstanding VA treatment records. The Veteran's service connection claim for PTSD is also remanded as there are no current medical opinions linking any diagnosed psychiatric disorders to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of residuals of traumatic brain injury as there is no current diagnosis and the evidence does not show any TBI-related residuals.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn prior to the Board making a decision.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for neck disability, traumatic brain injury, post-concussive headaches, and acquired psychiatric disability due to incomplete records. The AOJ is instructed to verify all periods of active duty, inactive duty for training, and active duty for training, including those from August 1983 to September 1983 and 1991 to 1993 with the 122nd Army Reserve Command. They are also directed to obtain any outstanding service treatment records and VA hospital records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and evaluation of various conditions due to incomplete medical opinions and lack of supporting evidence. The issues include back disorder, neck disorder, pituitary adenoma (claimed as brain tumor), TBI, pes planus, hypertension, and headaches.

The Board denied service connection for a residual scar on the Veteran's forehead and for a traumatic brain injury, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims.

The Veteran's hypertension, TBI, and migraines are all granted. The hypertension is linked to service due to PTSD. The TBI was incurred in combat. The migraine headaches meet the criteria for a 30% rating.

The Board has granted service connection for an unspecified depressive disorder and residuals of a traumatic brain injury including headaches and mild cognitive impairment with memory loss, finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's in-service TBI.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to his honorable periods of service and for health care under Chapter 17, Title 38, United States Code.

The Board denied service connection for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) as there is no current diagnosis of TBI and the evidence does not support a finding that it began during service or is related to an in-service injury.

The Board has decided that further examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's current residuals of a traumatic brain injury are related to his in-service head injury. The Veteran reported ongoing symptoms at a hearing and the VA examiner did not find any subjective symptoms or conditions attributable to a traumatic brain injury during the initial 2014 examination.

The Veteran's post-traumatic headaches are granted a disability rating of 50 percent, but no higher. The Veteran's TBI is denied any increase in rating beyond the current 40 percent.

The Board denied service connection for a back disability and granted an initial 50 percent rating for bilateral pes planus. The remaining issues of service connection for residuals of head injury/TBI, hallux valgus of the right foot, hallux valgus of the left foot, and TDIU are remanded.