The Board has remanded several issues, including service connection for a TBI and initial ratings for various musculoskeletal conditions. The Veteran's adjustment disorder with anxiety and depressed mood is rated at 70 percent. Initial ratings for other conditions are denied.
The deciding factor: Service connection for a TBI cannot be established due to lack of current residuals or disability associated with the in-service head injury, while initial ratings for various musculoskeletal conditions are denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities that may be linked to service-connected injuries.
- Claimed conditions
- Traumatic Brain Injury, Adjustment Disorder with Anxiety and Depressed Mood, Left Shoulder Strain, Right Shoulder Impingement Syndrome and Glenohumeral Joint Dislocation (status post Bankart repair), Left Wrist Tendonitis, Right Wrist Tendonitis, Right Fifth (Little) Finger Strain, Lumbar Degenerative Joint Disease, Left Knee Patellofemoral Syndrome, Right Knee Patellofemoral Syndrome, Left Ankle Strain, Right Ankle Strain, Tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 31, 2019
- Citation
- 19107637
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 Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of May 17, 2019, for a 70 percent disability rating for PTSD but denied earlier effective dates for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.
- Partly granted
The Board granted readjudication of previously denied claims for service connection for PTSD and COPD, while remanding other issues including entitlement to service connection for an eye disorder, hypertension, tinnitus, a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, TDIU, and an initial rating for PTSD.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus due to a lack of jurisdiction.
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