Traumatic brain injury (TBI) decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including service connection for traumatic brain injury, heart disability (secondary to protein C blood disorder), neck disability, psychiatric disability, and sleep apnea. The appeals are pending further medical evaluation and opinion.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are remanded due to the need for additional examinations. The effective date of service connection for residual scar status-post TBI is denied.

The Veteran's PTSD with TBI and migraines were granted service connection effective October 13, 2015. The Veteran was awarded a 50% rating for PTSD with TBI.,An increased rating of migraine headaches to more than 50% is denied.

The Veteran's PTSD with TBI is rated at 70 percent from September 16, 2015. The rating reflects significant occupational and social impairment.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection were denied.,No new or material evidence was submitted to reopen the claims of bilateral hearing loss, low back disability, and gastrointestinal condition.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development on issues of service connection for psychiatric disability, cervical spine (neck) disability, right shoulder disability, and left ankle disability.,No effective date has been assigned as the claims are being remanded.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of PTSD and TBI were denied. The Board found that the Veteran's PTSD symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating, but his TBI residuals were characterized as level 1 impairment.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for TBI residuals and a headache disability is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or in-service injury. The Veteran's left knee disability is not related to service, nor caused by his service-connected PTSD.,Service connection for the Veteran's back disability remains remanded due to insufficient opinion regarding its relationship to service. Service connection for erectile dysfunction is also remanded as there was no opinion addressing whether it was aggravated by his service-connected prostatitis.

The Board has granted service connection for a neck disability, left upper extremity neurological symptoms, right upper extremity neurological symptoms, residuals of a TBI (including vertigo and headaches), and finger disability. The claim for service connection for a finger disability is remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD, back disability, and left ankle disability have been rated appropriately. However, the Board has found that additional development is needed for the increased rating of PTSD, the initial rating for chronic thoracic strain, and the increased rating for left ankle disability.

The Board has remanded the case for additional medical opinions regarding service connection for neurological disability, as secondary to TBI disability. The claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for TBI disability is also remanded due to its interdependence with the service connection issue.

The Board has granted service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea, but has remanded the issues of service connection for Traumatic Brain Injury and Latent Tuberculosis due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are rated based on their severity, with the maximum rating for tinnitus being 10 percent. The Board has remanded cases regarding Meniere's disease (secondary to tinnitus) and TBI (secondary to PTSD with major depression).

The Veteran's TBI and sleep apnea are not service-connected, but his migraine headaches have been restored to a 50% rating. The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for TBI and sleep apnea.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for hearing loss and ear condition, residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI), and right elbow nerve condition. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions began during or were related to service.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA medical examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected PTSD and TBI. The effective date claim is also being remanded.

An effective date of August 8, 2014 for service connection of post-concussive headaches associated with TBI is granted. A disability rating in excess of 30 percent for post-concussive headaches associated with TBI is denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent prior to February 17, 2017, for TBI with headaches and a rating in excess of 10 percent beginning February 17, 2017, and prior to December 30, 2019, for TBI due to inadequate examinations that did not address the Veteran's contentions regarding syncope.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if her conditions are related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability and denied service connection for traumatic brain injury residuals, sleep disorder, and seizures.