The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial disability rating higher than 10 percent for TBI with cognitive disorder and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities. The issues are being remanded for further development, including VA examinations and obtaining information about the Veteran's incarcerations.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the previous examinations were too remote to adequately assess the current severity of the Veteran’s TBI and cognitive disorder, and that additional evidence is needed regarding the impact of his service-connected disabilities on employment.
- Claimed conditions
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Cognitive Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 19, 2020
- Citation
- 20041891
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 20041891.
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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