Traumatic brain injury (TBI) decisions — 2019

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a left hip disorder, right hip disorder, and face plate pain have been dismissed. The Veteran's TBI has been granted with a rating of 40 percent from February 2, 2012 to December 28, 2014, and denied for higher ratings thereafter. The Veteran's lumbosacral strain has also been granted with a rating of 40 percent from February 2, 2012 to December 28, 2014, and denied for higher ratings.

The Board denied service connection for chronic residual disability of head injury, to include traumatic brain injury, finding that the Veteran's lay statements regarding in-service head injuries were not credible and there was no other probative evidence of a TBI in service.

The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for chronic adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depression to include residuals of TBI was granted, effective March 10, 2013.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for dizziness, including Meniere's syndrome. The issues of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, traumatic brain injury, PTSD, and depressive disorder are remanded due to new evidence received since the last rating decision.

The Board has denied service connection for a traumatic brain injury (TBI) due to the lack of evidence of such a condition during the appeal period. The remaining issues have been remanded for further examination and analysis.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for neck disability, frostbite of the feet, frostbite of the hands, headaches, left upper extremity neuropathy, right upper extremity neuropathy, left lower extremity neuropathy, and right lower extremity neuropathy due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Board has denied service connection for a right ankle disability, PTSD, and TBI as there is no competent evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.

Service connection for headaches and tinnitus has been granted.,A 10 percent rating is assigned for a post-traumatic deformity of the right fifth metacarpal bone.

The Veteran's hypertension and TBI residuals, including migraine headaches, were denied as they do not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating under applicable VA regulations.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's traumatic brain injury, as there are conflicting reports and symptoms. The case is being remanded for this purpose.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right wrist disorder and a bilateral knee disorder. The Veteran's claim for left ear hearing loss is remanded, as there are insufficient medical opinions regarding whether his current hearing loss is related to military noise exposure.,The Veteran's TBI claim is also remanded, with an addendum opinion needed to address the significant threshold shift in his left ear during service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including right knee arthritis and multiple foot and hip conditions, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the cause of the Veteran's death, specifically whether his service-connected PTSD was a principle or contributory cause of his TBI and subsequent death.

The Board found that the Veteran's TBI is linked to service and granted service connection for TBI.

The Board has found that the Veteran's service connection claims for TBI, seizure disorder, and an acquired psychiatric disorder are remanded due to missing service treatment records and inadequate examinations. The issues will be further evaluated with additional medical opinions.

Service connection has been granted for headaches, a psychiatric disorder (to include anxiety and depression), and residuals of a broken jaw. The Veteran's skin condition, claimed as jungle rot, traumatic brain injury to include syncope, right shoulder disability, degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, and peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity are all pending.,The Board has granted service connection for headaches, a psychiatric disorder (to include anxiety and depression), and residuals of a broken jaw. The remaining issues have been remanded.

The Veteran's TBI is granted as service-connected, with no specific rating assigned and effective date not determined.

The Board has determined that additional examinations and opinions are needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection. The issues of right thumb disorder, right foot disorder, residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI), migraine headaches, and psychiatric disorder have been remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of frostbite of the right and left feet, finding that these disabilities had their onset during service. The Veteran's claim was initially denied in 1960 due to lack of post-service treatment records, but a grant is now made based on credible evidence presented.

The Board denied an initial compensable rating for residuals of traumatic brain injury as the Veteran does not have any cognitive, emotional, behavioral, or physical impairments related to her TBI.