Traumatic brain injury (TBI) decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence received after the previous denial, and a need for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's frostbite residuals are related to his service.

The Board has decided to remand three issues: service connection for a left knee disorder, residuals of frostbite of the toes, and depression. The Veteran's claims are being sent back for further examination and review.

The Board has granted service connection for right ankle degenerative arthritis, bilateral knee osteoarthritis status post total knee replacements, and traumatic brain injury. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.

The Board denied service connection for left hip disability, dismissed the appeal of residuals of broken ribs, and denied reopening claims for vision disability, TBI, and psychiatric disability. The Veteran's request for a specially adapted housing grant was also denied.

The appeals regarding service connection and earlier effective dates for various disabilities have been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of TBI and headaches, but has remanded the issue of service connection for erectile dysfunction as secondary to a TBI.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have been shown to be of such severity as to preclude substantially gainful employment since August 28, 2009. The Board has granted a TDIU effective from that date.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and increased ratings were dismissed. The Board found that the Veteran withdrew his appeals as to bilateral ankle disability, shrapnel wounds of the left eye, and PTSD with traumatic brain injury and depressive disorder. A 50 percent rating was granted for tension headaches associated with PTSD with traumatic brain injury and depressive disorder, and a 70 percent rating was granted for PTSD with traumatic brain injury and depressive disorder.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right ankle condition/surgery, bilateral foot condition, throat surgery residuals, and TBI have all been denied. The Board found no evidence of a current disability related to these conditions that began during service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and evaluation of his eye condition due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of his onychomycosis and ingrown toenails, as well as a need for an updated VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of initial TBI examinations conducted by qualified specialists, and will schedule a new examination for the Veteran.

The Board has determined that the reduction of TBI disability rating from 10 percent to noncompensable effective April 1, 2014 was improper and void ab initio. The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for TBI, headaches, hip disability, and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder are remanded due to need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on all listed conditions have been dismissed as the claims were withdrawn by her in June 2013. The issues of entitlement to service connection for a neck condition, left shoulder strain with degenerative joint disease, left upper extremity condition, right upper extremity condition, and left leg condition are being remanded due to incomplete records.

The Board has dismissed all service connection claims for frostbite and peripheral neuropathy of the Veteran's upper and lower extremities due to his death.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran, and a new Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC) must be issued.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's TBI. A new VA examination is needed to determine if a TBI, or its residuals, are related to an in-service injury.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's foot condition and its relation to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for traumatic brain injury, left eye conjunctivitis, right eye conjunctivitis, and migraine headaches has been granted. However, the claims for TBI and conjunctivitis are denied as there is no current diagnosis or evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for lumbar stenosis, cervical scoliosis (claimed as neck pain), right eye macular scar and hole, and traumatic brain injury.,There is no evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of whether the character of the Appellant’s discharge is a bar to VA benefits. The case is now remanded for further development, including obtaining an opinion regarding the Appellant's state of mind at the time of his AWOL.