It is important that you find out from your mental health professional what GAF score you were given.  Those with TBI typically never score higher than 50.  Make sure your score is 50 or below.  Your GAF score carries a lot of weight with the rating board.                                          Stressor Letter                                       The Stressor Letter carries a lot weight with the rating board as well.  A well crafted stressor letter has three main parts (see part one) that tell your trauma story.  It is important that you pinpoint your head trauma so that the rating board will have a starting point for understanding your trauma.                                                    Claims After September 23, 2008                                     According to the VA, veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI) should now find it easier to obtain VA disability compensation after September 23, 2008.                                  A new VA regulation changed the way that the VA evaluates the residuals of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), making it possible for some veterans to receive higher amounts of compensation.                                         The changes to the VA’s diagnostic rating schedule were made to reflect current scientific and medical understanding concerning the long-term physical and psychological effects of TBI. VA claims adjudicators will now have more detailed and up-to-date criteria for evaluating and compensating veterans who suffer from the residuals of TBI.                                  More than 90 percent of TBI cases involve closed head injuries where the veteran was exposed to a concussive wave, but there were no overt head wounds. Many of these veterans do not even realize that they have suffered a TBI.                                    TBI symptoms can appear immediately or can be delayed over time. These can include memory loss, decreased cognitive function, behavioral and personality changes, dementia and post-traumatic stress disorder. Neurological symptoms include seizures, headaches, impaired reflexes, nervous ticks and post-concussive syndrome which can manifest as dizziness, headaches, vertigo, nausea, insomnia and depression.                                        Injuries to veterans serving in Iraq or Afghanistan resulting from roadside explosions and other concussive blasts have led to more brain injuries than in other wars. As of September 2008, over 22,000 veterans are receiving VA compensation for TBI. Over 5,800 of these are veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.                                       Here’s the catch – The VA will only apply the new rating criteria to TBI claims that are received by the VA on or after September 23, 2008. Claims that were received before that date will be evaluated under the old rating criteria, unless the veteran expressly notifies the VA that he or she wants to be considered under the new criteria. The same applies to veterans who are currently receiving VA compensation based on TBI, but who have no pending TBI claims before the VA. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |