The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a head injury, to include traumatic brain injury (TBI), and for entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of these conditions.
The deciding factor: The VA must provide an examination or obtain an opinion when there is competent evidence of a current disability, evidence establishing that an event occurred in service, and an indication that the disability may be associated with service. The Veteran's STRs indicate he sought treatment for headache symptoms while in service, and his lay statements support his claim.
- Claimed conditions
- head injury, traumatic brain injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 7, 2020
- Citation
- 20032358
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 20032358.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the claims on appeal, including obtaining any outstanding treatment records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the current severity of service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's representative also requested reevaluation of his service-connected disabilities.
- Dismissed
The appeal has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal prior to the Board making a decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted service connection for moderate persistent reactive airway disease without complication. The claims for sleep apnea, hypertension (high blood pressure), and traumatic brain injury are remanded due to the failure to obtain relevant VA treatment records.
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