Traumatic brain injury (TBI) Board decisions

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for back disability, hernia disability, traumatic brain injury (claimed as head injury and memory loss), and hypertension. The claims were not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Veteran's claims for hearing loss, tinnitus, cervical spine disorder, GERD, headaches (including migraines), hypertension, TBI residuals, seizures, lumbar spine disorder, radiculopathy of the lower extremities, right and left shoulder disorders, right and left wrist disorders, elbow bursitis, bilateral hand disorder, knee disorders, eye disorder, sinus disorder with nose bleeds, and face trauma have all been denied.,The Veteran's service-connected PTSD has not met the criteria for an initial disability rating in excess of 50 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected TBI does not meet or approximate the criteria for a compensable disability rating, and thus denied her claim.

The Veteran's claims for service connection related to joint pain, sleep apnea, sinus/nasal condition, headaches/migraines, and acid reflux are remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evidence review.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for cervical and lumbar spine disabilities, finding no medical nexus between his current conditions and service. The Veteran's claim for residuals of a traumatic brain injury is remanded due to insufficient evidence in the examination reports.

The Veteran's headaches were rated as non-compensable prior to December 1, 2011 and a 50 percent rating was granted from that date. The Veteran is denied a higher disability rating for his headaches.,TDIU was initially denied before October 1, 2012 but granted effective October 1, 2012.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for TBI and for TDIU due to insufficient evidence in the record. The Veteran will need to provide VA treatment records from August 21, 2018 to the present and any Social Security Administration disability determination and related medical records. A new VA examination is also needed to assess the current severity of his TBI.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of traumatic brain injury and memory loss was dismissed due to his death.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral shin splints, residuals of TBI, and tinnitus. The conditions are related to service due to overuse in the case of shin splints, a service injury in the case of TBI, and noise exposure in service in the case of tinnitus.

The Veteran's vertigo, scars of the left knee and wrist/arm, CFS, bilateral shin disabilities, frostbite residuals, and Meniere’s disease are not related to his military service.,The Veteran has been diagnosed with these conditions since separation from service but there is no evidence linking them to his time in active duty.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate development of in-service medical records and incomplete opinions regarding the Veteran's PTSD, TBI, and left shoulder disability. The claims for service connection are pending.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, as his combined disability rating of 70% already reflects the impact on his employment.

The Board has determined that additional examinations and evidence are needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection and rating of various disabilities.

The Veteran's initial disability ratings for several service-connected conditions are being remanded due to the need for updated VA examinations and treatment records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of current hearing impairment meeting VA criteria.,The Veteran's TBI was evaluated at a 40 percent rating, with an additional 100 percent evaluation for PTSD. The headaches were separately rated at 50 percent effective August 16, 2016.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's traumatic brain injury residuals. The claim will be reviewed again with additional evidence and a specialized medical opinion.

The Veteran's initial evaluations for TBI and headaches have been remanded due to unclear effective dates and potential pyramiding issues.

The Board has decided to remand this case due to the need for additional development regarding whether injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident were incurred or aggravated in the line of duty, and if so, whether they are related to willful misconduct.

The Veteran's appeals for higher evaluations and earlier effective dates for service-connected disabilities have been dismissed. The Board has also remanded the issues of entitlement to service connection for glaucoma, sleep apnea, coronary artery disease (CAD), hypertension, and kidney disease.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for SMC at the housebound rate or based on need for aid and attendance due to his service-connected conditions.