The Veteran's claim for earlier effective dates for his service-connected disabilities associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and loss of part of skull was denied by the Board. The decision found that it was not factually ascertainable that an increase in disability occurred within one year prior to the initiation of the claim, thus no earlier effective date is warranted.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms were not definitively shown to have existed and required treatment within a year prior to his claim filing, making it impossible to establish an earlier effective date.
- Claimed conditions
- loss of part of skull, chronic headaches secondary to TBI associated with loss of part of skull, dizziness associated with TBI, brain injury with partial loss of left leg and foot
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 80%
- Decision date
- February 16, 2018
- Citation
- 1809318
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 1809318.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected brain tumor substantially contributed to his death from liver cancer, which was caused by transfusions for the brain tumor. The Board found that this is a direct connection and granted service connection for the cause of death.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the veteran's cause of death was not incurred in or aggravated by service, nor as a result of a service-connected disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and conflicting medical opinions regarding whether the veteran's service-connected skull injury residuals contributed to his fatal respiratory arrest.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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