Traumatic brain injuries—or TBIs—can occur as a result of your service in a wide variety of ways. From falls, to injuries in combat, this condition can have a lasting impact on your health and wellness.
These injuries usually occur as the result of a traumatic event. While establishing that the incident occurred is often straightforward, linking your health issues to your brain injury can be more challenging. Everyone responds to these injuries differently, and it can take time for symptoms to show.
At Elite Medical Review Associates, we strive to help veterans link their TBI-related health issues with their service. We are able to do this by drafting strong, well-researched VA nexus letters that make a convincing case to the decision-makers within the federal government.
Our medical experts provide VA nexus letters designed to provide a service connection to a wide range of brain injuries. Some examples of TBIs connected with military service include:
- Concussions
- Coup-contrecoup injuries
- Penetrating brain injuries
- Contusions
- Diffuse Axonal Injuries
While these conditions can differ, the associated symptoms are often similar. They include a variety of physical and psychological conditions that can make it difficult to enjoy life or hold down a job.
Service-Related Events That Can Lead to TBI
There are any number of scenarios that can lead to a person sustaining a brain injury during the course of their military service. In fact, this is one of the conditions that are most likely to lead to VA benefit claims.
Paratrooper Accidents
Paratroopers are at a higher risk of suffering head trauma compared to most servicemembers. These injuries can occur in mid-air collisions, but they are especially likely when a paratrooper’s head strikes the ground following a rough landing.
Vehicle Collisions
Traumatic brain injuries can also occur as the result of something as mundane as a vehicle accident. The impact of these collisions can lead to concussions and a variety of other injuries—especially when a person’s head makes contact with the dashboard or steering wheel.
Weapon Recoil
Some firearms generate enough energy when firing that they can cause the head to accelerate rapidly. This can lead to TBIs, particularly coup-contrecoup injuries. These injuries occur when the brain strikes two points on the skull.
Blunt-Force Injuries
Any severe impact on the head has the potential to damage the brain. This might occur when a servicemember falls during a training exercise and strikes their head. It can also occur as the result of hand-to-hand combat. The concussion from explosions—particularly from IEDs—is also frequently forceful enough to damage the brain.
Do I Need a Nexus Letter for a Traumatic Brain Injury Claim?
You can file a claim for disability with the VA without supplying a VA nexus letter. That does not mean you are likely to be successful, however. One of the major challenges for many veterans is linking their brain injury and its resulting symptoms with an event that occurred during their service.
A nexus letter is a document written by a medical professional. It makes an argument based on a veteran’s condition that their health issues likely stem from an injury that occurred during the course of their time in the military. Benefits are not available without proof of a service-connection link, no matter how serious the health condition might be. This makes tracing your disability to an injury or illness obtained during your service crucial for your success. A nexus letter provides a strong argument backed up by peer-reviewed medical research that supports your claim for connectivity.
While it is possible to secure benefits without a letter, a case is always made stronger with one. Many veterans will see their initial claim denied, only to have success later when they include a nexus letter on appeal. In either scenario, a nexus letter from Elite Medical Review Associates could make all the difference.
What Should These Letters Contain?
While every nexus letter is different, each of them should include the same primary elements. These letters are intended to make a strong case to the decision-makers at the VA that your condition is linked to your service. To do that, your letter should include the following:
Credentials
The letter should spell out the credentials of the medical professional writing it. While there are numerous doctors and other professionals able to write a letter on your behalf, someone with a strong background in treating and diagnosing traumatic brain injuries could carry significant weight. The letter should provide their name, specialty, and the location of their practice.
References
The letter should make it clear that the author carefully reviewed your medical records. It should not only reference these records but also highlight any journals or research they relied on when reaching a conclusion about your condition.
Medical Opinion
No VA letter is complete without an opinion regarding service connection. However, the author of the letter must do more than just come to a conclusion; they must also justify it. This is done by pointing to medical research that strengthens your case that your health issues are directly linked to your service.
Can Any Doctor Write a Nexus Letter for TBI?
Any doctor has the ability to provide a nexus letter to the VA so long as they are licensed to practice medicine in the United States. Your letter could be written by your general practitioner, although many will not agree to do so. In addition to medical doctors, other professionals might also be able to help. You could receive a letter from a physician’s assistant or a nurse practitioner, for example.
It is important to remember that while any doctor can write a letter on your behalf, not every letter carries the same weight. TBIs are complex medical conditions, and it can be helpful to have a doctor who focuses their practice on brain health to make the case that you deserve disability benefits. Some specialists who could prepare a convincing letter on your behalf include psychiatrists, neurologists, and neurosurgeons.
Of course, tracking down a specialist to write a letter for you can be easier said than done. Many doctors are unwilling or unable to help with this process, and those that do will rarely advertise their availability to the public.
Providing veterans with access to the right medical experts is what we do. If you believe a nexus letter will make the difference in your VA benefits case, now is the time to reach out to Elite Medical Review Associates.
TBI and Secondary Claims
One of the most challenging aspects of living with a traumatic brain injury is the wide range of potential symptoms that may occur. Some of these issues might surface immediately after the injury, while others can take weeks or months to develop. Often, it is possible to pursue benefits for these symptoms as secondary service-connected conditions.
A secondary service connection claim involves conditions that have been triggered by an injury or illness. It is not uncommon for serious health issues to arise in the aftermath of a brain injury. In some situations, the link between a TBI and these issues is difficult to identify without the help of a professional.
There are a number of conditions that may be secondary to a traumatic brain injury. The most common examples are headaches, which can differ in severity from minor nuisance to crippling health issues. Brain injuries also have the potential to cause seizures, vertigo, or dementia. In some cases, it can take years before the symptoms of these secondary conditions will surface.
Finally, mental health issues are a common consequence of traumatic brain injuries. These can vary dramatically, from sleep disruptions to changes in your personality. A TBI could also lead to post-traumatic stress disorder or major depressive disorder.
Like with your primary claim, you may need a nexus letter for any secondary service-connected conditions. In some cases, you may be required to obtain a second nexus letter from a different medical professional. At Elite Medical Review Associates, we look forward to assisting you with your claim.
Let Elite Medical Review Associates Prepare Your TBI Nexus Letter
Traumatic brain injuries have the potential to alter the course of your life forever. If you are living with this condition due to a service-related event, you deserve compensation through the VA. A successful claim might not be easy to come by, especially if you have not submitted a VA letter in support of your case.
At Elite Medical Review Associates, we are proud of our support for veterans and their disability claims. We can provide you with a strong, well-researched nexus letter written by a medical professional that suits your case. You don’t have to face this system on your own. Contact us right away to discuss your options with us.