Traumatic brain injury (TBI) Board decisions

The Veteran's TBI and related conditions are granted with a 10% rating effective July 24, 2008. The Veteran is denied increased ratings for paresthesia of the left face and bilateral vision loss.

The Board has remanded several claims, including reopening of service connection for various conditions and determining whether the Veteran is eligible for Chapter 35 Dependents' Educational Assistance benefits. The VA must obtain updated treatment records and Social Security Administration disability records.

The Veteran's TBI residuals are rated at 10 percent from April 19, 2011 to July 13, 2018 and at 40 percent since July 13, 2018. The TDIU claim is granted for the period between September 10, 2013 and March 12, 2014.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for TBI and related headaches, as well as cervical spine disability. The claims are being remanded due to a lack of medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding whether he currently has TBI or any other type of brain injury, and if so, whether it is related to his in-service motor vehicle accident.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran, and further development is needed before a decision can be made on whether the Veteran should receive TDIU prior to February 11, 2020.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for tinnitus, major depressive disorder, epilepsy, traumatic brain injury or residuals thereof, and right ear hearing loss due to various reasons including failure to report for VA examinations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a traumatic brain injury, finding that there was no clear and unmistakable evidence showing preexistence or aggravation during service.

The Veteran's left knee disability is granted, and his right knee disability remains at a 10% rating. The TBI residuals are rated as headaches and tinnitus, with separate ratings. PTSD with major depressive disorder is granted to a 50% rating prior to July 23, 2009, but denied for higher ratings thereafter.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left eye vision impairment and traumatic brain injury due to a lack of evidence showing an in-service event, injury, or disease resulting in these conditions. The case is being remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence and requests for additional VA examinations. The appellant's claim for a higher disability rating for TBI residuals is pending.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on six issues have been dismissed as the Veteran has withdrawn his appeals in a completed VA Appeals Satisfaction Notice.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including left shoulder disability, sleep apnea, residuals of traumatic brain injury, tuberculosis, COPD, and bilateral hearing loss. The decision also denied a higher rating for PTSD prior to April 28, 2016, and an effective date earlier than April 28, 2016 for the grant of TDIU.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development and consideration, including obtaining an opinion regarding whether his sleep apnea is secondary to his service-connected sarcoidosis, as well as addressing the conflicting evidence of arthritis in both feet versus no arthritis found on recent x-rays. The issues include entitlement to service connection for various conditions such as sleep apnea, foot disabilities, TBI residuals, headaches, PTSD, and increased ratings for sarcoidosis and back disability.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for TBI and brain tumor due to insufficient analysis regarding whether these conditions were incurred in service. The Veteran's active duty service is alleged to have included exposure to a rocket strike that caused him to lose consciousness, which may be indicative of a TBI. The VA must conduct an examination and provide an opinion on the relationship between the claimed conditions and service.

The Veteran's meningitis and related symptoms are not service-connected, as the Board found that VA did not cause or contribute to his additional disability.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for low back, cervical spine, and left knee disabilities due to in-service motor vehicle accident (MVA). The Veteran's claims are referred for further examination and opinion regarding the etiology of her current disabilities.

The Board has granted an initial rating of 50 percent for the Veteran's migraine headaches associated with a traumatic brain injury, finding that these headaches are productive of severe economic inadaptability.

The Veteran is granted TDIU based on service-connected disabilities of major depressive disorder with traumatic brain injury and migraine including migraine variants associated with major depressive disorder, which are considered as one disability. The Veteran is also granted SMC due to statutory housebound status.

The Veteran's service connection for TBI residuals is granted, and she is awarded total disability rating based on individual unemployability from September 13, 2020. SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s) is also granted for her left arm neuropathy and post-herpetic neuralgia.