The Board has determined that the Veteran's cognitive decline and memory loss are due to his service-connected TBI. The Veteran is entitled to SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance, but further development is needed to determine if he would require institutional care in the absence of a caregiver.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's cognitive decline and memory loss are due to his service-connected TBI, which meets the criteria for SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance. However, further development is needed to determine if he would require institutional care in the absence of a caregiver.
- Claimed conditions
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 3, 2024
- Citation
- A24063348
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,156 · Granted: 29% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A24063348.
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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