Traumatic brain injury (TBI) Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for unspecified depressive disorder and alcohol use disorder, both secondary to PTSD. Service connection for residuals of a traumatic brain injury is denied.

The Board has found that new and relevant evidence has been received to reopen the claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a bilateral foot disorder including pes planus, sleep apnea, and traumatic brain injury. The issues are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development.

The Board has remanded the SMC claim due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's employment status and additional VA and private treatment records are needed. The appeal is now in remand status.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings on several service-connected disabilities is remanded due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of new evidence.

The Board has withdrawn the claims of service connection for urticaria and angioedema. The issues of service connection for lumbar spine disorder, cervical spine disorder, psychiatric disorder (depressive disorder/anxiety/PTSD), TBI (head injury), right ankle disorder, erectile dysfunction (ED), chronic pain syndrome, hypertension, digestive disorder, and sleep disorder have been remanded due to the submission of new and material evidence.

The Board has denied reopening of the claim for service connection for a back disability and granted a 30% rating for residuals of frostbite injury of the right foot. The claims for increased ratings for left ear hearing loss and residuals of frostbite injury of the left foot are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for frostbite of the hands, arthritis of the right hand, arthritis of bilateral feet, and memory loss have all been denied.,No new or material evidence was received to reopen any of these claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for TBI, acquired psychiatric disorder, head scar, skull disorder, and sleep disorder have all been denied. The Board found no evidence of a current disability in any of these conditions.,While the Veteran reported experiencing various symptoms related to his claimed conditions, the VA examinations did not find any diagnosed condition that began during service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury.

The Veteran's TBI and acquired psychiatric disabilities, including PTSD and depressive disorder, are granted.,New evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disability. The current diagnosis is related to his active duty service.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination, as there are inconsistencies in the evidence and additional information is needed to make a determination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of cold weather exposure to his upper extremities and for frostbite of his toes due to inadequate medical opinions in previous examinations. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Veteran's traumatic brain injury is granted service connection.,The Veteran's PTSD is granted service connection based on in-service fear of hostile military activity.,Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is denied as the evidence does not establish a link to service or PTSD.,Service connection for left testicle varicocele is granted, with the condition dating back to active duty.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for gout, PTSD, right knee disability, left knee disability, erectile dysfunction, and higher ratings for lumbar spine disability, radiculopathy of the lower extremities, and residuals of TBI have all been denied. The Board found that there was no evidence linking any current conditions to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted for chronic sinusitis, asthma, and dermatitis. The appeal concerning pseudofolliculitis barbae has been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his claim. Other issues remain pending.

The Veteran's claims for an initial compensable disability rating for TBI and service connection for hypertension are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, headaches, and TBI were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss or sufficient evidence to establish entitlement to service connection for these conditions. For headaches, the Veteran was granted an initial non-compensable rating but denied higher ratings. For TBI, the Veteran's claim was denied as his symptoms did not warrant higher than 10 percent ratings.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to April 5, 2017 because no new and material evidence was submitted within one year of the July 2014 or November 2014 rating decisions. The Board also found that it was not factually ascertainable that an increase in disability occurred within a year prior to the April 2017 claim.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as of July 11, 2012. The Board granted the TDIU effective from that date.

The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including TBI, dizziness and/or vertigo, diabetes mellitus, prostate hypertrophy, left shoulder disability, right hand disability, and left heel spur. The evidence did not support a finding of current disabilities or an in-service injury that could be linked to these conditions.,The Board found the preponderance of the evidence against service connection for TBI due to lack of credible reports of head injuries during service and no residuals documented post-service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for VR&E services, other than employment services, to include retroactive induction into a VR&E program is remanded due to deficiencies in the January 2015 vocational rehabilitation evaluation. The case will be returned for further development and consideration.