Hello. Thanks for your comment. This is hard to answer without more information. TBIs often occur in combat settings, so they are rarely documented properly. With this in mind, it's quite important to communicate the specific combat event that caused your TBI. If you lost consciousness, you will definitely want to communicate that. You will also want to communicate how long people told you that you were unconscious (if known). You will also want to communicate any other common symptoms such as headaches, irritability, depression, vision changes, audiological changes such as ringing in the ears, etc.. Best of luck!

I had this same experience at my comp and pen exam. The examiner only seemed interested in the precipitating event and none of the subsequent symptoms. I had to interject with a brief summary of the neurobehaviorial effects, but the examiner seemed uninterested and dismissive even though it was the whole point for starting my claim. I had received functional brain scans and psychiatric assessments to back up the claim, but he didn't seem familiar with any of the evidence I submitted. I included a lay statement after the appt to add my side of the story because I wasn't confident that the examiner was taking me seriously at all.

You definitely have a case. What you will want to do is compile as much literature as possible supporting your claim. Send the actual literature to the VA (not a page with website links). Also, you need to document that you have an actual condition/TBI attributable to these concussive forces. That's what the medical opinion/exam is for you just went to. Here's some links that might be helpful: www.health.mil/Military-Health-Topics/Warfighter-Brain-Health/Brain-Health-Topics/Low-Level-Blast-Exposure www.health.mil/Military-Health-Topics/Centers-of-Excellence/Traumatic-Brain-Injury-Center-of-Excellence/Low-Level-Blast-Exposure All the best. We hope it works out. Don't be discouraged if you get an initial denial. Keep fighting. The facts are definitely on your side if you had a military job involving routine blast exposure.

@@VADisabilityGroup awesome....thank you for your time and comment. Really put me at ease. All I want is to receive what I earned. My mental health is the worst part of it. diagnosed MDD anxiety and panic disorder. 7 hospitalizations 1 5150 hold and a suicide attempt. I was even forced into a medical retirement from the state of CA after 18 years because of these symptoms. With videos like yours I finally zeroed my issues down to a possible TBI. Please keep making them. they help us tremendously.

Didn't get rated for TBI but was rated for MDD 100% P&T so it's a win for me...

In theory, the VA is supposed to consider the higher evaluation. However, in practice, the examiner tends to say they can't differentiate the mental health vs. TBI symptoms and the VA adjudicator keeps the PTSD evaluation at the same rate. We aren't saying that'll happen in your case, but it's the typical outcome. Good luck!

Hello and thank you for the question. All that is needed to request review is to submit a 526EZ with a claim for an increase. In the notes I would comment on this reevaluation program. You can submit this claim to the evidence intake center (www.benefits.va.gov/compensation/mailingaddresses.asp); alternatively, you can submit a claim on Ebenefits. Be aware, if you have a service connection mental health condition that condition will also be reevaluated. For example, if you have a 10% awarded for TBI and 70% awarded for PTSD, you might not want to stir the pot as the 70% is a great evaluation for mental health and all TBI claims necessarily bring scrutiny to your mental health claim as TBI examiners must also assess mental health conditions because of the overlap. All the best!

The VA in whole is incapable of making an honest appraisal of any condition, especially a TBI

Thanks for the comment. No, at the moment we don't have a specific video on ear conditions to include conditions such as meniere's disease and vertigo. However, we are in the process of producing an ENT video, so stay tuned! We anticipate that to be published within the next 3-5 weeks.

Sadly, there’s an element of truth to your comment. Thanks for the comment!

How about accumulation of low level blasts like firing multiple heavy mortars like 4.2in and 120mm munitions? Also anti tank munitions like AT4 and M47 Dragon anti tank? The concussive forces from those can cause TBI and long term residuals.This is my issue and I just had a C&P exam for it recently. Waiting for a rating now.

My main issue is tinnitus hearing loss migraines major MH conditions like MDD anxiety and panic disorder. 7 hospitalizations 1 5150 mental health hold 1 suicide attempt. A lot of other stuff...