Traumatic brain injury (TBI) decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that further development is needed for the issues of service connection for various conditions, including TBI and its related disabilities. The case will be returned to the RO for this purpose.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings on various service-connected conditions have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since October 14, 2016. The effective date for this rating is October 14, 2016.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability and TBI residuals are related to service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine the appropriate disability ratings for PTSD, TBI, depressive disorder, insomnia, hemorrhoids, and GERD. The claims are being remanded to obtain additional medical records and to provide updated opinions from VA examiners.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is being remanded for further examination and opinion to determine if it is caused or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have residuals of a traumatic brain injury and any brain condition is related to his already service-connected cerebrovascular accident. As such, the claim for service connection for TBI is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, sleep apnea, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, and residuals of a traumatic brain injury. The evidence did not support these claims.

The Board found that the Veteran does not currently suffer from a Traumatic Brain Injury and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for the issues of entitlement to increased ratings for residuals of a traumatic brain injury with a cognitive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder, and for migraine headaches. The appeal concerning an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for left foot pes planus is dismissed.

The Veteran's left ankle disability is considered a subsequent manifestation of his already service-connected lumbar spine degenerative disc disease with osteoarthritis.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for residuals of a traumatic brain injury and Parkinson's disease. The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the relationship between these conditions and his in-service head trauma.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have residuals of a traumatic brain injury or vertigo attributable to service, and thus denied both claims.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and medical evaluations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection, increased ratings, and effective dates have been denied. The Board found that the right knee meniscus tear was not caused by his service-connected back and foot disabilities. For benign positional vertigo, the evidence did not support a finding of peripheral vestibular disorder. The bone loss of skull is considered less than a quarter in size. The PTSD with anxiety disorder, OCD, and cognitive disorder alone has rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The TBI residuals have been rated appropriately.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for TBI residuals has been reopened, but the claim remains denied as there is no current diagnosis of a TBI or TBI residuals.,Service connection was not granted for a heart disorder and gastrointestinal disorder due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to active service.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed TBI condition, as well as whether it is related to service. The case will be remanded for this purpose.

The Veteran's right ankle sprain is currently rated at 20 percent disabling, effective August 14, 2017. The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and multiple knee/ankle conditions, prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical examinations and to ensure that all pertinent evidence has been considered. The issues of increased ratings for left knee disability, TBI, hypertension, renal disability, and entitlement to TDIU are inextricably intertwined and must be addressed together.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain clarification on the dates of his Reserve service and to provide addendum opinions regarding the etiology of his bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, diabetes mellitus, and frostbite residuals.