The Board has decided to remand the case due to conflicting statements regarding in-service TBI exposure and a need for further development, including obtaining records that could verify the Veteran's claims of exposure to bomb blasts during deployment. The Veteran will be afforded an opportunity for a new VA examination if it is determined he was exposed to such events.
The deciding factor: The Board found conflicting statements from the Veteran regarding in-service TBI exposure and decided further development, including obtaining records that could verify his claims, was necessary.
- Claimed conditions
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20004479
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,592 · Granted: 19% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 20004479.
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 has granted service connection for a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and its residuals, including unsteady gait, somnolence, and cognitive dysfunction. The decision is based on the Veteran's credible lay statements about in-service head injuries and subsequent seizures.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and therefore, service connection for TBI is denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance due to service-connected TBI with PTSD is granted, effective September 6, 2018.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for special monthly pension (SMP) based on the need for aid and attendance is granted due to his cognitive impairment resulting from a motor vehicle accident in 2018, which has rendered him unable to work and needing assistance with daily activities.
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