The Veteran seeks service connection for residuals of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) sustained during his active duty. The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the nature and likely etiology of any TBI disability found, as well as its relationship to service.
The deciding factor: The critical question in this case is whether the Veteran's current TBI residuals are due to TBIs sustained during his period of active duty service or if they are attributable to pre-existing pathology. The Board has determined that a remand for an advisory medical opinion addressing these matters is necessary.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of traumatic brain injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 29, 2016
- Citation
- 1617150
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 1617150.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for anxiety has already been granted, as the RO has already granted service connection for major depressive disorder and residuals of traumatic brain injury, which encompasses the entire appeal period.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for heart murmur and allergic rhinitis, finding the current conditions are related to service. Service connection was denied for headaches and residuals of traumatic brain injury due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of traumatic brain injury, migraine headaches as secondary to residuals of traumatic brain injury, cyclic vomiting syndrome as secondary to residuals of traumatic brain injury, and anxiety disorder as secondary to residuals of traumatic brain injury. The Board found that there was no current diagnosis of residuals of traumatic brain injury and the Veteran's symptoms were more likely related to her psychological conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's eligibility for the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) is being remanded due to a lack of explanation in the April 2021 decision regarding whether participation in the program was in his best interest. The Board finds that the Veteran requires personal care services due to disabilities including posttraumatic stress disorder, tension headaches, and others.
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