ptsd TBI as secondary?

[fmfdoc]

Hi everyone,

 Question... I currently have SA secondary to PTSD and depression. I have been knocked out several times on active duty( parachute falls, combat) but have never been dx'ed with TBI. I do suffer from the memory loss and other symptoms that I've read about with TBI but again have never been dx'ed for that. I had several headache treatments during AD...

What route would you recommend to get the TBI claim going? I have a PCP appointment next month at the VA and want to present possible TBI issues. In many ways, I sucked it up after I passed out and didn't run to the Military doc.

 

 

 

Edited July 27, 2016 by fmfdoc

[jfrei]

Get a cat scan to check out what residuals if any are still present. If your 100% the VA will do it free have a neurologist at the VA look at it and present your facts and story. If she says you did you did and file…. But it will be lumped into one rating of whichever ones higher with more symptoms is the one youll get or like me they lumped ptsd as a symptom of my TbI residuals and made it 100% p and t 

[broncovet]

Make sure you understand:   You do not need a TBI DIAGNOSIS in service.  NO.   You need an "event" in service.  There is a difference.  If you jumped out of airplanes, its entirely possible, or even likely you hit your head at least once.  

Instead, you need the Caluza elements of:

1.  Current diagnosis.    A doctor needs to diagnose you have TBI now.  And

2.  You need documentation of one or more events in service.  Jumping out of an airplane is an event.  So is combat.  

If you have a buddy from the service who was there and saw you hit your head, then he could write a letter about same. 

This letter, may suffice for Caluza element 2: "event in service"

3.  Nexus, or doc statment that "its at least as likely as not that your current diagnosis of tbi is from head trauma you received

from combat, jumping out of airplanes etc while in military service".  Use your actual example, not my sample. 

Get the Caluza elements:  Get service connected.

Miss one or more Caluza Elements:  Get denied.  

 

NOTE:  

SECONDARY TBI does not really make sense to me, UNLESS PTSD caused you to hit your head.  (maybe, IDK).  

In any case secondary SC is mostly like the above except:

1.  Current diagnosis

2.  Nexus that your Secondary condtion (TBI?) was at least as likely as not due to PTSD.  This seems a little far fetched to me, but IDK, so it may well be possible to bang your head with PTSD.  IDK.  My opinion does not matter anyway, it takes a doctors opinion regardless.

[Lemuel]

I went 17 years without being diagnosed for my 1969 TBI and it was a "severe" TBI with more than 24 hours of unconsciousness.  Diagnosis by EEG and neuropsychological testing.

[El Train]

I had an 'in service' incident in which the Corpsman stated 'Marine lost consciousness for 5 minutes'.  Boom! that's all it takes.  I hired two Dr's to assess for TBI in which I was diagnosed.  One was a forensic MD and the other was a Psyc. Dr.  After a litany of C&P exams, I was diagnosed at 70% tbi.  Combined with my 100% PTSD.  I did have headaches separated out and rated at 10%.  No scans were done.

Edited February 5 by El Train
because

[Dustoff1970]

In 1985 and 1998 I was diagnosed with VA  50 and 70% ptsd and then tdiu p&t due to Nam combat that included a leg wound and head concussion.