Traumatic brain injury (TBI) decisions — 2026

The Veteran's posttraumatic stress disorder is rated at 70 percent, reflecting significant occupational and social impairment. The rating for traumatic brain injury remains at 10 percent due to mild impairments in judgment and orientation.

The Veteran is granted an effective date of December 9, 2020 for a 100 percent disability rating for PTSD.,The Veteran is also granted an effective date of December 9, 2020 for special monthly compensation based on housebound criteria (SMC).

The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for tinea pedis (athlete's foot). The Veteran contends that he is entitled to this benefit due to constant boot wearing, rucking, and overall mission requirements during his service.

The appeal for service connection of a traumatic brain injury and special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance has been dismissed.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient information and potential need for medical examinations. The Veteran's conditions are related to his active service, but more evidence is needed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury during active service and has current residuals, granting service connection for these conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of continuity of care for frostbite on the face after his cold weather injury during service, and the need for a new opinion addressing the Veteran's lay testimony of onset during service and continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of a 70% rating for PTSD with alcohol use disorder, mild and residuals, traumatic brain injury is granted. The effective date is set as March 11, 2025.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased evaluations of PTSD, TBI-related emotional/behavioral dysfunction, and right knee disability, as well as SMC and TDIU benefits. The AOJ is instructed to obtain new examinations and ensure that the reports comply with instructions.

The Veteran's pilonidal cyst, prostate cancer, bilateral foot skin disorder, left and right foot disorders, sinus disorder, TBI, and migraine headaches are all granted as service-connected.,Service connection is established for the Veteran's pilonidal cyst, prostate cancer (attributable to military service), bilateral foot skin disorder, left and right foot disorders, sinus disorder, TBI, and migraine headaches.

The Veteran's death was due to cerebral vascular disease, with a significant contributing condition being his service-connected TBI. The Board granted DIC benefits for the cause of death but denied DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 as he did not meet the requirement of having been in receipt of or entitled to receive compensation for a service-connected disability rated totally disabling for at least 10 consecutive years immediately preceding his death.

The Veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected disability, and therefore, the claim for cause of death is denied. The claim for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 also fails as the Veteran did not meet the criteria for total disability ratings.

The Veteran's migraine headaches and voiding dysfunction ratings have been restored to their previous levels, effective October 27, 2021.,SMC based on the need for aid and attendance of another person has been granted with an effective date of October 27, 2021.

The Veteran's eligibility for the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) is being remanded due to a lack of explanation in the April 2021 decision regarding whether participation in the program was in his best interest. The Board finds that the Veteran requires personal care services due to disabilities including posttraumatic stress disorder, tension headaches, and others.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to duty to assist errors and need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's TBI and PTSD have resulted in the need for regular aid and attendance, necessitating institutional care without which he would require hospitalization or nursing home care. The Board has granted SMC at the (t) rate based on this finding.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to insufficient evidence of a link between his claimed conditions and service. The Board will seek further clarification or evidence.

The Board denied effective dates prior to March 15, 2022, for the grants of service connection for various conditions including gunshot wound with residual scars, traumatic brain injury, headaches, fifth cranial nerve damage, seventh cranial nerve damage, left eye disorder, and brain hemorrhage.

The Veteran's MDD with TBI residuals are currently rated at 70 percent, and the appeal for an increased rating is denied. The Veteran was granted a TDIU from July 9, 2014, to July 1, 2017, due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Residuals of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), finding that the Veteran's symptoms are due to in-service personal assaults. The PTSD is linked to a conceded in-service stressor, while the TBI is attributed to the same assault.