Traumatic brain injury (TBI) Board decisions

The Board dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including enlarged liver, TBI, splenomegaly, vitiligo, subcortical white matter brain lesion, allergic rhinitis, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and tinnitus. The Veteran was granted a 40% disability rating for goblet cell carcinoma with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and a separate compensable rating of 10% for loss of sphincter control associated with IBS.

The Veteran's service-connected unspecified anxiety disorder and unspecified depressive disorder with TBI are granted at a maximum schedular rating of 70 percent, effective May 25, 2014. The appeal is REMANDED for further action on other issues.

The Veteran's claims for a bilateral ear condition, residuals of TBI, and right shoulder disability are being remanded due to the need for additional development including obtaining medical opinions and potentially issuing Supplemental Statements of the Case.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for his TBI residuals is being remanded due to the need to obtain updated test results from a previous VA examination.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of traumatic brain injury, so the claim is dismissed.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board has determined that there is not enough evidence to support his claims.,The Veteran was previously denied service connection for various conditions and now seeks reopening of these claims.

The Veteran's TBI with headaches is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that a new VA examination is needed to determine if his disability has worsened.

The Board has granted service connection for Meniere's syndrome, vertigo, and traumatic brain injury (TBI) as these conditions are related to the Veteran's in-service head trauma while serving in Vietnam.

The Veteran's dysequilibrium, status post carotid artery dissection (claimed as dizziness secondary to TBI), is not related to his service-connected TBI or any in-service incurrence.,There is no evidence of hypertension that is secondary to the service-connected TBI.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for service connection for TBI due to the Veteran's withdrawal. The case is remanded for further action on the issues of service connection for PTSD, Bipolar Disorder, and any other acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and traumatic brain injury (TBI) have been denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and evaluations. The issues include PTSD, bilateral pes planus, sleep apnea, acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD), bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, TBI, seizure disability secondary to TBI, vertigo secondary to TBI, Dercum’s disease, wrist carpal tunnel syndromes, hypermobility syndrome, testicular/inguinal hernia, respiratory disability, mast cell disorder, hemolytic anemia, and TMJ.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for residuals of TBI is denied, while the claim for a separate rating of 30 percent or more for migraine headaches as a residual of traumatic brain injury is granted.

The Veteran's TBI is granted as service-connected, and the case is remanded for a rating examination to determine the severity of his residuals. The issue of total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is also remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for a right foot disability, finding that there is no evidence linking his current condition to active service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a traumatic brain injury (TBI), other than a cognitive disorder not otherwise specified was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a diagnosis of any residual TBI, and therefore, there were no residuals to grant service connection.,For the right ankle scar, the Veteran's claim for an increased rating prior to June 14, 2017 was denied as the scar did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating. The evidence showed that the scar was not painful or unstable and constituted less than 929 square centimeters.

The appeals for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, right ankle disorder, right shoulder disorder, left shoulder disorder, chronic left sternoclavicular joint disorder, left foot disorder, and left lower extremity radiculopathy have been dismissed.,The appeal for PTSD has also been dismissed.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD with TBI and headaches, as well as left ankle disability were granted effective from June 19, 2012, and July 16, 2012 respectively.,An earlier effective date request was denied.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, and denied service connection for residuals of traumatic brain injury.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to incomplete records and need for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records from his Marine Corps Reserve service and VA treatment records. The Veteran is also required to provide private chiropractic treatment records.