Traumatic brain injury (TBI) decisions — 2019

The Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches has been granted.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for psychiatric disability (including as due to an in-service head trauma) and residuals of frostbite on the left and/or right lower extremity have also been granted.

The Board denied reopening and granting service connection for residuals of traumatic brain injury and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and his claim for TDIU is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a traumatic brain injury sustained during his military service is granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of residuals of a traumatic brain injury was granted with an effective date of March 1, 1971.

The Board denied service connection for Traumatic Brain Injury and Parkinson's Disease, finding no current diagnosis of TBI during the appeal period. The claim for secondary service connection for Parkinson's Disease was also denied as there is no evidence linking the disease to active service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities made him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to November 14, 2014. The Board granted entitlement to TDIU for this period.

The Veteran's application to reopen the previously denied claim for service connection for a chronic headache disability is granted. The Board finds that additional evidence, including a VA examination in December 2015, raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for additional examinations. The issues include TBI, lower back disability, arthritis, right and left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for left ear hearing loss is denied.,Prior to February 1, 2016, the Veteran's TBI residuals are not manifested by any residuals of cognitive, emotional/behavioral, or physical impairment which were not already contemplated in separate ratings assigned for other conditions.

The Board denied service connection for left knee disability, right knee disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, and right lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine. The Veteran's TBI residuals claim was also denied.,The Board found no current disabilities for service connection for left knee disability, right knee disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, or right lower extremity radiculopathy. Service connection for residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI) was denied.

The Veteran's appeals have been withdrawn, and the issues of entitlement to increased ratings for various conditions are dismissed.,The rating reduction from 20 percent to 0 percent for degenerative arthritis of the left shoulder with chronic separation was proper.

The Board has remanded several issues for further development, including service connection for residuals of a traumatic head injury and vascular disease, hypertension, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The Veteran's private attorney argues that these conditions are related to his service-connected seizure disorder.

The Veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings and effective dates for service connection were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating for his bilateral hearing loss, and there was no basis for earlier effective dates for PTSD or TBI.

The Board has decided that further evidence is needed to determine if the Veteran can manage his VA funds due to his psychiatric disability and/or traumatic brain injury residuals.

The Veteran's service records show a motor vehicle accident during service, but no direct evidence of a head injury. The case is remanded to obtain updated VA treatment records and schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to determine if he has a current TBI diagnosis related to his service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inconsistencies in the May 2017 decision and the inadequacy of past VA examinations. An additional VA examination by a neurologist is needed to determine the current severity of TBI and distinguish PTSD symptoms from TBI symptoms.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the lack of recent VA treatment records and an updated application for part-time work.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disorder and TBI have been remanded due to the need for additional records and an addendum opinion.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection of a low back disability due to new evidence. The PTSD claim is remanded, as are claims for TBI residuals and bilateral hearing loss. Service connection for hernia resulting from VA care is also remanded.