Traumatic brain injury (TBI) decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim of service connection for TBI due to a lack of a VA examination. The Veteran is presumed to have incurred a TBI during his deployment in Iraq, and he reports exposure to various concussive blasts.

The Veteran's service-connected TBI is rated at 70 percent, effective July 24, 2019.,Effective March 4, 2021, the Veteran is granted special monthly compensation based on housebound status.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for TBI and sleep apnea due to service, as well as his claim for a total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU), due to deficiencies in the record existing prior to the November 2019 rating decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran experiences current TBI residuals other than headaches and vertigo, which are due to a TBI during his active duty service. As such, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected TBI does not require the need for personal healthcare services provided on a daily basis in his home by a person who is licensed to provide such services or who provides such services under the regular supervision of a licensed healthcare professional. The effects of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the requirements necessary to warrant special monthly compensation at any rate.

The Veteran's service-connected TBI and related conditions have caused him to be in need of regular aid and attendance since August 10, 2020. The Board has granted an earlier effective date for SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance and a higher level of entitlement for SMC based on residuals of TBI.

A 70 percent rating for PTSD is granted from June 25, 2018. The appeal seeking a compensable rating for TBI with tension headaches is dismissed. Entitlement to service connection for allergic rhinitis is remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for various radicular disorders and TBI, as well as migraines, are not properly adjudicated based on the evidence of record at the time of the July 2021 decision. The Board finds there were pre-decisional duty to assist errors in obtaining medical opinions and examinations.

The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance due to her service-connected disabilities.,SMC at the housebound rate prior to June 1, 2019 is denied as she does not meet the criteria for this benefit.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of an initial compensable rating for TBI residuals and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder due to inconsistencies in the medical evidence. The Veteran needs a new examination to assess his TBI symptoms, including concentration and memory issues, and a secondary opinion is needed to determine if his psychiatric condition is aggravated by his TBI.

The Veteran's PTSD with TBI is rated at 50 percent, but the Board granted an increased rating to 70 percent.

The claim for service connection for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) remains denied because the submitted evidence is not new and relevant.

The Veteran's TBI has been rated at 70 percent, effective October 31, 2014. Service connection for migraine headaches as secondary to her service-connected TBI is granted.

The Veteran's TBI with Major Depressive Disorder is rated at 70 percent from March 6, 2020. A total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is granted from June 11, 2019.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, alcohol and stimulant disorder, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and left ear scar as the evidence did not support these claims.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to errors in obtaining necessary medical opinions and recharacterizing his claim. The Veteran is not currently service connected for a head injury, but he suggests that he may have a TBI stemming from an in-service head injury.

The Veteran's TDIU (Total Disability Independent of Rating) for PTSD and TBI, combined with other service-connected disabilities rated at 60% or more, meets the criteria for SMC at the housebound rate since April 27, 2017.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a sleep related disability and frostbite/cold injuries of the bilateral hands and feet are being remanded due to incomplete records, lack of VA examination, and need for further analysis.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals regarding earlier effective dates for PTSD, migraine headaches, and vertigo due to TBI as they are not appealable decisions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions due to additional relevant STRs being added to the file after the initial decision.