The Board has decided to remand the claims for an initial compensable disability rating for TBI, service connection for headaches, and service connection for acquired psychiatric disability including major depressive disorder and PTSD. The Veteran needs a new examination to assess the current severity of his TBI and whether any headache or psychiatric disabilities are proximately caused by TBI.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there is insufficient evidence in the record to determine if the Veteran's headaches and psychiatric disabilities are related to his service-connected TBI, necessitating further evaluation.
- Claimed conditions
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Headaches, Acquired Psychiatric Disability (including Major Depressive Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD))
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 6, 2020
- Citation
- 20023493
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 20023493.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for obstructive sleep apnea and headaches, finding that the evidence does not support a finding of persistent daytime hypersomnolence or other manifestations consistent with a compensable disability rating under the criteria established by Diagnostic Codes. The matter is remanded to obtain additional information from the Veteran regarding his headaches and their impact on his daily life.
- 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 OSA is granted as secondary to PTSD, but his headaches are denied due to lack of service connection.
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