The Veteran's service connection claims for TBI and its residuals, as well as his acquired psychiatric disorders (major depressive and persistent depressive disorders) are granted. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The remaining issues of service connection are also granted.
The deciding factor: Service connection was established based on the secondary relationship between the Veteran's current conditions and his in-service TBI, which is considered a service-connected condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Major depressive disorder, Persistent depressive disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 22, 2020
- Citation
- 20080435
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.
- Granted
The Board granted a rating of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI), as the Veteran's symptoms most nearly approximated occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.
- Granted
The Board granted initial ratings of 40 percent for lumbar spine disorder, 70 percent for major depressive disorder, and 40 percent for left lower extremity radiculopathy. TDIU and SMC based on housebound status were also granted.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, currently diagnosed as other specified trauma and stressor related disorder and major depressive disorder.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) but denied service connection for PTSD and a higher rating for the unspecified trauma and stressor related disorder/major depressive disorder/insomnia.
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