Traumatic brain injury (TBI) decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded four claims: service connection for residuals of a TBI, seizure disability, an acquired psychiatric condition (including MDD), and total disability based on individual unemployability. The tension headaches claim is also being remanded due to the failure to issue a statement of the case.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected disabilities and their impact on his ability to work.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for frostbite, paranoid schizophrenia, and supraventricular tachycardia due to new evidence submitted. However, these claims are remanded as further medical examination is needed.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a traumatic brain injury (TBI) or residuals of a TBI is denied because there is no evidence to support that the condition was incurred in and due to his time in service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, and thus grants a TDIU rating.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.

The appeal for a rating in excess of 100 percent for PTSD with residuals of TBI is dismissed. The appeals to reopen claims for service connection for Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of bilateral knees, Ischemic Heart Disease, and Hand Tremors are granted.

The Board has remanded the claim for a TDIU due to its inextricability with the service connection claim for traumatic brain injury. The TDIU claim will be reconsidered after the effective date and disability rating for the service-connected traumatic brain injury are determined.

The Veteran's previously denied claims for frostbite of the feet and hands, back injury, groin injury, and an acquired psychiatric disorder have been reopened. The claim for service connection for major depression and anxiety disorder is granted as it is related to military sexual assault during active duty.

The Board found that new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, and gastritis. However, the reopened claims were denied on the merits as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions or a causal link to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether his claimed conditions are of the type that should have been documented in service records and were not. The Veteran is required to undergo new VA examinations to address these issues.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination.

The Board has determined that a new VA examination is needed to assess the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed residuals of TBI, as the previous examination was inadequate.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to incomplete medical records and the need for a VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left hand disability, traumatic brain injury (TBI), headaches as secondary to TBI, and major depressive disorder as secondary to TBI. The evidence did not establish that any of these conditions were related to service.

The Board denied service connection for tremors, seizures, and residuals of traumatic brain injury as the evidence did not establish a nexus to active service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various conditions, including migraine headaches, OSA, IBS, TBI, cervical spine disability, and osteoarthritis of the left knee. The effective dates for these issues are not addressed in this decision.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding increased evaluations for service-connected tension headaches and a traumatic brain injury, as well as an earlier effective date for the 100 percent evaluation for PTSD with unspecified depressive disorder.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including knee disabilities and a TBI, have been remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations. The issues include right knee osteoarthritis, left knee osteoarthritis, aggravation of preexisting migraine headaches, low back disability, right ankle disability, and traumatic brain injury.

The Veteran has elected to withdraw his appeals for various service connection claims, including those related to lung disorders, TBI, headaches, eye and teeth disorders, back issues, ankle and foot problems, and hearing loss.