Traumatic brain injury (TBI) Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diplopia was reopened, and he is granted a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for sinusitis. The claims for service connection for an eye condition and traumatic brain injury are remanded.

The Veteran's TBI has been rated at a 40 percent disability rating, effective as of the date of this decision.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal, and the Board has dismissed it.

The Veteran's PTSD with MDD and TBI is rated at 70 percent effective October 16, 2015. The rating was increased to 70 percent from January 31, 2016.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection and effective date claims related to TBI residuals, headache disability, thoracolumbar spine disability, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, coronary artery disease, PTSD with depressive disorder, and left eyebrow scar residuals. The issues of increased ratings for coronary artery disease and PTSD with depressive disorder; and entitlement to total rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete medical records and a need for further examination to determine if the Veteran's right toe conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for gout, eye disability, asthma, hypertension, stomach disability, TBI, and headaches have been denied. The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for TBI and headaches.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, shell fragment wound to left muscle group III, hearing loss, and TBI, rendered him unemployable as of May 26, 2011. His effective date for a total disability based upon individual unemployability is set at this date.

The Board has remanded the claims due to incomplete records and a need for further development, including obtaining SSA disability benefits information.

Your initial rating for lumbar spine condition has been increased to 40 percent effective October 29, 2014. Your right ankle, left shoulder, right knee, and left knee conditions have each received a 10 percent initial rating effective October 29, 2014.,Your residuals of traumatic brain injury have also been rated as 10 percent disabling effective October 29, 2014.

The Board has remanded four claims: service connection for residuals of a TBI, seizure disability, an acquired psychiatric condition (including MDD), and total disability based on individual unemployability. The tension headaches claim is also being remanded due to the failure to issue a statement of the case.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected disabilities and their impact on his ability to work.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for frostbite, paranoid schizophrenia, and supraventricular tachycardia due to new evidence submitted. However, these claims are remanded as further medical examination is needed.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a traumatic brain injury (TBI) or residuals of a TBI is denied because there is no evidence to support that the condition was incurred in and due to his time in service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, and thus grants a TDIU rating.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.

The appeal for a rating in excess of 100 percent for PTSD with residuals of TBI is dismissed. The appeals to reopen claims for service connection for Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of bilateral knees, Ischemic Heart Disease, and Hand Tremors are granted.

The Board has remanded the claim for a TDIU due to its inextricability with the service connection claim for traumatic brain injury. The TDIU claim will be reconsidered after the effective date and disability rating for the service-connected traumatic brain injury are determined.

The Veteran's previously denied claims for frostbite of the feet and hands, back injury, groin injury, and an acquired psychiatric disorder have been reopened. The claim for service connection for major depression and anxiety disorder is granted as it is related to military sexual assault during active duty.

The Board found that new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, and gastritis. However, the reopened claims were denied on the merits as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions or a causal link to service.