Traumatic brain injury (TBI) Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a low back condition and residuals of TBI including vertigo due to new evidence provided by the Veteran. Additional VA examinations are needed, as well as obtaining relevant medical records.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and residuals of a traumatic brain injury due to outstanding medical records. The Veteran's right ear hearing loss and perforated tympanic membrane are not rated as they meet the criteria for non-compensable ratings.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted, and the issue of an increased evaluation for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.

The Veteran's current bilateral tinnitus is etiologically related to his active service.,No hearing loss disability has been presented at any time during the pendency of the claim.,The Veteran does not have a diagnosis of a cervical spine disorder.,The Veteran does not have a diagnosis of a traumatic brain injury.,The Veteran does not have a diagnosis of a headache disorder.,The Board lacks jurisdiction over the claims for service connection for scar, right side of the head and residuals of a right-hand laceration, to include a scar because these claims were granted in October 2013 and rendered moot.,The claim of entitlement to service connection for amblyopia of the right eye is remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea. The issues of service connection for costochondritis, MVP, frostbite on the right ear, and depression are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and TBI was denied in April 2013, but granted with an effective date of April 23, 2010 (the day after his separation from active duty). The Board found that the earliest effective date available is the day after separation due to the Veteran filing within a year of his separation.

The Veteran's service connection claim for residuals of a traumatic brain injury is denied as there is no diagnosed disability.,The Veteran's right knee disability is currently rated at 10 percent and the Board finds that it does not warrant an increased rating based on limitation of motion or instability. The Veteran has consistently reported pain without additional loss of function during flare-ups, which is adequately compensated by his current 10 percent rating.,The Veteran's TDIU claim is denied as he does not meet the criteria for a total disability rating due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for TBI, headaches, gout, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including depression and PTSD), and Bell’s Palsy due to incomplete records and the need for medical opinions regarding possible causation.

The Veteran's appeals for an earlier effective date, a higher rating for TBI, and SMC based on housebound status have been dismissed. The Board has jurisdiction over the appeal of his claim for a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability (TDIU) from October 23, 2008 to March 14, 2012.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including left hip disability, bilateral knee disability, bilateral hearing loss, traumatic brain injury (TBI), right shoulder disability, low back disability, and cervical spine disability. The remand requires additional examinations to address functional impairment and provide opinions on whether these disabilities are related to active duty service.

The Veteran was granted a TDIU effective August 22, 2013, based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete service treatment records and the need for a TBI evaluation. The Veteran's service connection claim will be reconsidered with the new evidence.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including right shoulder, lumbosacral spine, cervical spine, and right knee disabilities, as well as bilateral hearing loss and obstructive sleep apnea. The Veteran's claims were not supported by the evidence of record.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for TBI, PTSD, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The Board found no current diagnoses or evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for increased evaluations for PTSD, chronic with alcohol abuse and TBI is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches, including as secondary to his service-connected traumatic brain injury. The Board found that there was no evidence linking the headaches to service or a service-connected disability.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of traumatic brain injury and eligibility for financial assistance in the purchase of an automobile or other conveyance and/or adaptive equipment due to lack of evidence supporting these claims.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of June 25, 2014 for a 70 percent rating for PTSD with traumatic brain injury is granted. The Board found that the criteria for a 70 percent rating were met in the year prior to his increased rating claim.

The Board has granted service connection for TBI, but the issues of tinnitus and sleep apnea as secondary to TBI, cervical spine disability, and lumbosacral spine disability remain unresolved due to need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied in a final decision in November 2007. A new, informal claim for TDIU was received on June 17, 2009, and the effective date of this award is set to that date.