The Board granted an initial 100 percent rating for the service-connected psychiatric disorder, granted service connection for TBI as secondary to the psychiatric disorder, and granted special monthly compensation at the housebound rate. The claim for a total disability rating for individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities was dismissed.

The deciding factor: The Veteran's psychiatric disorder symptomatology more closely approximated total occupational and social impairment during the entire period on appeal, and there was evidence in approximate balance as to whether he had a TBI that was secondary to his service-connected psychiatric disorder.

Claimed conditions

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with bipolar disorder, Traumatic brain injury (TBI), Right knee disability, Disability manifested by pain behind the ear

How they argued it

Direct service connection

Exposure basis

None

Rating assigned

100%

Decision date

February 5, 2025

Citation

25001778

Want to see how appeals like this one tend to go? Appeals like mine