The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a TBI is granted.,An effective date earlier than November 7, 2016, for the award of service connection for residual scars, left periorbital, right upper lip and right chin is denied.,A rating in excess of 10 percent for residual scars, left periorbotal, right upper lip and right chin is denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea is remanded.
The deciding factor: Service connection for residuals of a TBI was granted based on the evidence showing that the Veteran sustained a blow to the head during service and has post-service residuals of a TBI.,An effective date earlier than November 7, 2016, for the award of service connection for residual scars, left periorbital, right upper lip and right chin is not warranted as there was no formal or informal claim prior to this date.,The Veteran's facial scars have one characteristic of disfigurement but do not meet other criteria. Therefore, a rating in excess of 10 percent is denied.,Service connection for sleep apnea is remanded due to the need for further examination and opinion regarding its etiology.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI), residual scars
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- August 15, 2019
- Citation
- 19163320
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 19163320.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for tonsilitis and a left shoulder disability, but denied service connection for residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI), right ankle, and left ankle disabilities. The claim for a higher rating for GERD was also denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI), finding that there was no evidence of a current disability and no nexus to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the appeal for further development, including obtaining relevant private treatment records and reexamining service-connected residuals of TBI.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeal for all issues, including initial ratings and service connection for persistent depressive disorder, residuals of TBI, and headaches.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.