The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for TBI and lumbosacral strain due to errors in verifying periods of active duty training (ACDUTRA) and inactive duty training (INACDUTRA). The VA examiner's opinions are also inadequate, and further medical examination may be necessary.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the AOJ did not verify any periods of ACDUTRA and INACDUTRA during the Veteran's reserve service, which could affect his eligibility for service connection. Additionally, the VA examiners' opinions were deemed inadequate to decide the claims based on their failure to address relevant medical records.
- Claimed conditions
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Lumbosacral strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 11, 2024
- Citation
- A24055248
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 A24055248.
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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