Traumatic brain injury (TBI) decisions — 2020

The Veteran is unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected PTSD, which causes near continuous panic attacks, sleep problems, impairment of short and long term memory, difficulty understanding complex commands, impaired judgment and abstract thinking, disturbances of motivation and mood, difficulty in establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships, difficulty adapting to stressful situations, and impaired impulse control.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea is denied due to lack of evidence linking the condition to his military service.,The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for intra-abdominal bleeding status post umbilical repair (claimed as stomach condition) is granted, with no effective date provided.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus. The cases of lung nodules and traumatic brain injury are remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has denied service connection for a traumatic brain injury and remanded the issue of total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board has remanded cases involving prostate cancer and TBI with unspecified depressive disorder due to the need for additional medical opinions and examinations.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The TBI claim was denied as the evidence did not show total impairment, and separate psychiatric diagnoses of PTSD and major depressive disorder were found to be related to his panic disorder without agoraphobia.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations provided were inadequate and remands the case for a new examination to determine if the Veteran's current symptoms are at least as likely as not related to his in-service head injuries.

The Board denied the Appellant's claims for service connection for various conditions, including acquired psychiatric disorder, left knee disability, left shoulder disability, residuals from traumatic brain injury, nerve condition, and bilateral hearing loss. The decisions were based on a lack of new and material evidence to support reopening these claims.

The Board has granted service connection for a neurological condition (other than TBI) as a residual of malaria, including cerebral encephalopathy and cerebral malaria. The Veteran's current conditions are related to his in-service malaria.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not result in loss of use of the lower extremities, so he is not eligible for financial assistance for automobile or other conveyance and adaptive equipment.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and frostbite damage to both feet have been reopened. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for TBI with concussion photophobia and OSA were denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions. The Board found that the evidence did not show an in-service incurrence or aggravation of either condition, and that any pre-existing conditions did not worsen during his periods of active duty.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and asthma, but denied service connection for traumatic brain injury (TBI). The Veteran's tinnitus is presumed related to noise exposure in service. His asthma existed prior to service and was aggravated by service. However, the Board found no evidence of a TBI during service.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of a VA medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities result in permanent total disability. The Veteran is also seeking an increased rating for his TBI.

The Veteran's cold injury residuals of the right and left feet have been granted increased ratings, with a 30% rating for both feet as of May 26, 2011. The TDIU claim has also been granted from April 27, 2015.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for TBI, an initial compensable rating for PFB, and a higher rating for lumbosacral strain were denied. The claim for service connection for TBI was reopened due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination. The issues include left foot injury, right foot injury, traumatic brain injury, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD).

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been dismissed due to the mootness of the skin disorder claim. The remaining issues were denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or a link between the claimed conditions and military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development and evaluation, including obtaining an addendum opinion on service connection for TBI and a VA examination to assess the severity of his cluster headaches.

The Board has remanded the cases for obtaining additional VA records, including psychiatric treatment records from service and an investigation related to a 1981 assault.