Traumatic brain injury (TBI) Board decisions

The Board has remanded the cases due to procedural errors and the need for additional examinations. The Veteran's TBI rating reduction from 70% to 0% is under review, as are her headaches and TDIU claims.

The Veteran's PTSD-TBI with traumatic brain injury is granted a 70 percent disability rating effective November 15, 2018. Service connection for cervical strain, lumbosacral strain, right shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis, and sleep apnea are also granted.

The Veteran's TBI rating was reduced from 70% to 10%, effective July 1, 2020. The reduction is upheld as the evidence supported an increased rating for migraine headaches and no longer supported a higher rating for TBI.

The Veteran's service connection claim for residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI) is granted as the TBI had its onset during active duty and has been recurrent since then.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including depression and mood swings, cold weather injuries of the upper and lower extremities, ankle conditions, peripheral neuropathy, erectile dysfunction, left hip condition, hypertension, and bilateral teeth condition. The evidence does not support a current diagnosis of any of these conditions.

The Veteran's TBI and PTSD disabilities were improperly combined into a single rating, so the separate ratings of 40% for TBI and 70% for PTSD are reinstated effective May 1, 2021.

The Veteran's PTSD and TBI with dizziness were rated at 70 percent effective September 18, 2024. The symptoms have been consistent since July 9, 2021.

The Veteran's TBI and its residuals are now rated at a separate compensable level of 10 percent, but no higher.

The appeal regarding the reduction of disability rating from 50% to 30% for major depressive disorder with traumatic brain injury, effective October 1, 2024, is dismissed due to an invalid VA Form 10182 signed by an unauthorized individual.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's TBI residuals are related to his active service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection on multiple conditions are being remanded due to the need for further development and clarification of his military service records.

The Board has granted service connection for TBI and tinnitus, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for TBI, vertigo, hearing loss, sinusitis, acid reflux, right knee condition, and left knee condition have all been denied. The evidence does not support the presence of these conditions during or as a result of military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for insomnia disorder, other specified depression, and TBI have been granted. The appeal is dismissed as the claim is moot since he is already service connected for these conditions. His increased rating claim for nutritional deficiency is denied.

The Board has granted a 70 percent rating for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder and residuals of TBI, finding that his symptoms meet the criteria for such a rating due to occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) because his service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim for a separate initial 40 percent rating for TBI is granted, subject to the laws and regulations governing the award of monetary benefits. The claim for SMC(t) based on aid and attendance for a TBI is remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD with TBI is granted an increased rating to 70 percent, and service connection for tinnitus is also granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of traumatic brain injury, migraine headaches as secondary to residuals of traumatic brain injury, cyclic vomiting syndrome as secondary to residuals of traumatic brain injury, and anxiety disorder as secondary to residuals of traumatic brain injury. The Board found that there was no current diagnosis of residuals of traumatic brain injury and the Veteran's symptoms were more likely related to her psychological conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for PTSD, TBI, and Weight Loss require readjudication due to the submission of new evidence since the last rating decision. The claims are currently in a remanded status.