The Veteran's broken nose residuals are granted as service connected.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is denied.,Service connection for TBI residuals is granted.,A new VA examination is required to determine the current severity of the lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis.
The deciding factor: The February 2017 VA medical examiner determined that the currently diagnosed residuals of broken nose relate to the broken nose sustained during service, and therefore, by resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran, the Board finds that service connection is warranted for broken nose residuals as having incurred during active duty service.,While the Veteran has at times been seen at the VA mental health clinic with anxiety symptoms, no diagnosis could be rendered due to lack of conformity with DSM-5 criteria. The preponderance of the evidence is against finding a currently diagnosed acquired psychiatric disability; therefore, the claim must be denied.,The February 2017 VA examiner opined that as the Veteran did not have any memory problems prior to enlisting, those problems started after he was knocked off of a ladder in service. The private medical opinion from A.C., BSN, RN, CCM, LNC supports this finding and states it is more likely than not that the Veteran sustained a mild TBI after falling off a ladder and hitting his head in service.,The VA treatment records indicate that the Veteran's service-connected back disability has worsened. Therefore, a new VA examination is required to assess the current severity level of his service-connected back disability.
- Claimed conditions
- broken nose residuals, acquired psychiatric disorder (personality disorder), residuals of traumatic brain injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 20, 2021
- Citation
- 21031066
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 21031066.
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 Veteran's claim for service connection for anxiety has already been granted, as the RO has already granted service connection for major depressive disorder and residuals of traumatic brain injury, which encompasses the entire appeal period.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for heart murmur and allergic rhinitis, finding the current conditions are related to service. Service connection was denied for headaches and residuals of traumatic brain injury due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of traumatic brain injury, migraine headaches as secondary to residuals of traumatic brain injury, cyclic vomiting syndrome as secondary to residuals of traumatic brain injury, and anxiety disorder as secondary to residuals of traumatic brain injury. The Board found that there was no current diagnosis of residuals of traumatic brain injury and the Veteran's symptoms were more likely related to her psychological conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's eligibility for the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) is being remanded due to a lack of explanation in the April 2021 decision regarding whether participation in the program was in his best interest. The Board finds that the Veteran requires personal care services due to disabilities including posttraumatic stress disorder, tension headaches, and others.
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