Traumatic brain injury (TBI) decisions — 2020

The Board dismissed all issues of service connection due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeal.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of hypertension and traumatic brain injury for further development, including obtaining missing service records and conducting new examinations.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's PTSD and TBI, including separate ratings for psychiatric symptoms, increased ratings for PTSD with TBI, and a compensable rating for posttraumatic headaches. The claims are being returned to the RO for further development.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims and increased rating claims due to new evidence received after previous decisions. The Veteran is entitled to a compensable rating for hypertension, but additional development is needed as no SOC was issued regarding this issue. He also needs an examination to determine the current severity of his hypertension. Other issues are remanded for further action.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was reopened and granted. The appeal regarding a higher rating for TBI residuals is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) has been reopened and is now pending. The Board found new and material evidence to support the reopening of the claim, but further development is needed as the claim must be remanded for a VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected traumatic brain injury does not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating, and therefore his initial rating of 10 percent remains unchanged.

The Board denied an increased rating for the Veteran's service-connected traumatic brain injury (TBI) residuals, finding that the highest level of evaluation assigned was a 10 percent rating.

The Veteran's TBI residuals and left knee instability ratings have been restored, with the exception of SMC benefits which were restored from October 17, 2012.

The Board has denied service connection for hypertension, cervical spine disorder, right carpal tunnel syndrome, GERD, TBI, and an equilibrium disorder. The claims are being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and nonservice-connected pension due to the Veteran's failure to attend VA examinations. The issues will be reconsidered after further examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for TBI, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disability including PTSD and antisocial personality disorder. The Board found no credible evidence of a current diagnosis of these conditions within the appellate period.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional examinations and clarification of the severity of his service-connected TBI clinically distinguishable from PTSD, as well as the severity of his posttraumatic ocular migraine headaches.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for TBI residuals is granted. The claims for earlier effective dates for increased ratings for nephrolithiasis and PTSD are denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including TBI, ischemic heart disease, hearing loss, and a fractured mandible, prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for TDIU.

The Veteran's traumatic brain injury residuals are found to have originated during active service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for effective dates earlier than March 23, 2018 for service connection of TBI with headaches and PTSD, Parkinson's disease with sleep disturbance. The appeals were based on new evidence that reopened these claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability for which service connection can be granted, specifically bilateral hearing loss and tuberculosis. The claims for traumatic brain injury, right shoulder disability, and neck disability are remanded as there is insufficient evidence to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected residuals of a TBI and migraine headaches.

The Veteran's claims for a higher evaluation of his right ulna styloid fracture and service connection for TBI were both denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support ankylosis in the right wrist, which is required for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 5214. For the TBI claim, the evidence showed no clear indication that it began during service or was related to any in-service injury.