Traumatic brain injury (TBI) VA Rating
How VA rates Traumatic brain injury (TBI) under diagnostic code 8045, what evidence decides the percentage, and the reasons these claims get denied or under-rated.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is rated under diagnostic code 8045. In the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities it appears as Residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI), within the Neurological Conditions section of 38 CFR Part 4.
The essentials
| Diagnostic code | 8045 |
|---|---|
| Rating schedule name | Residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI) |
| Body system | Neurological Conditions |
| Examination form | NEURO Initial Evaluation of Residuals of TBI/Review Evaluation |
How VA rates traumatic brain injury (tbi)
These are the rating levels VA assigns under diagnostic code 8045, quoted from the rating schedule. A rater compares the findings in your examination against each level and assigns the highest one your evidence supports.
Rated by reference. The schedule does not give diagnostic code 8045 its own percentages. Evaluate emotional/behavioral dysfunction under § 4.130 (Schedule of ratings—mental disorders) when there is a diagnosis of a mental disorder. When there is no diagnosis of a mental disorder, evaluate emotional/behavioral symptoms under the criteria in the table titled “Evaluation of Cognitive Impairment and Other Residuals of TBI Not Otherwise Classified.” The percentage therefore comes from the referenced code, applied to your residual impairment.
- Evaluate physical (including neurological) dysfunction based on the following list, under an appropriate diagnostic code: Motor and sensory dysfunction, including pain, of the extremities and face; visual impairment; hearing loss and tinnitus; loss of sense…
- Note (1): There may be an overlap of manifestations of conditions evaluated under the table titled “Evaluation Of Cognitive Impairment And Other Residuals Of TBI Not Otherwise Classified” with manifestations of a comorbid mental or neurologic or other physi…
Criteria quoted from 38 CFR Part 4, Subpart B (eCFR edition 2026-01-01). Where a rating depends on measurements, the figures in your examination report are what decide it — which is why an examination that skipped a required measurement is worth challenging.
Other names for this condition
VA and treating providers may use different terms for the same condition. If your records use any of these, they may still support a claim for Traumatic brain injury (TBI):
- Brain trauma
- cerebral concussion
- brain disease
- traumatic encephalopathy
- head trauma
- blast injury
- head injury
What evidence decides the rating
For neurological conditions conditions, these are the findings VA weighs when assigning a percentage. If your examination did not address them, the examination may be inadequate for rating purposes — which is itself an argument on appeal.
- Which specific nerve is involved and whether impairment is complete or incomplete paralysis
- Whether symptoms are wholly sensory — that caps the rating at mild or moderate under the nerve codes
- For migraines: frequency of prostrating attacks and whether they are productive of severe economic inadaptability (DC 8100)
- For seizures: witnessed episode frequency over the preceding six and twelve months
- For TBI: the facets table under DC 8045, scored individually
Why these claims get denied or under-rated
These are the failure patterns we see most often on traumatic brain injury (tbi) and related neurological conditions claims:
- Radiculopathy rated as wholly sensory when the record documents weakness or reflex loss
- Migraine denied as not prostrating because the veteran keeps working — the criterion is severe economic inadaptability, not unemployment
- Headache frequency was recorded from memory at one appointment rather than from a headache diary
- TBI residuals rated as a single evaluation instead of scoring each facet under DC 8045
Secondary service connection
Under 38 CFR §3.310, a condition caused or aggravated by an already service-connected condition is itself service-connected. Secondary claims are where most veterans are leaving compensation on the table — and where most denials turn on the nexus opinion rather than the diagnosis.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is commonly claimed secondary to
- In-service blast exposure, vehicle accidents, falls and combat injury
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) commonly causes or aggravates
- Migraine
- Tinnitus
- PTSD and mood disorders
- Sleep apnea
- Seizure disorders
- Vision and balance disorders
If you are already service-connected for traumatic brain injury (tbi) and any of these apply to you, they may be claimable as secondary conditions.
If your claim was denied or under-rated
A denial is not the end of the claim. Which route is right depends on why VA decided the way it did:
- Higher-Level Review — when the evidence already in the file supports a grant and VA got the decision wrong, or the examination was inadequate.
- Supplemental Claim — when you have new and relevant evidence, such as a private nexus opinion.
- Board Appeal — when you need a Veterans Law Judge to decide, or want a hearing.
- Clear and Unmistakable Error — when a decision more than a year old contains an undebatable error, which can recover retroactive pay.
Effective dates matter as much as the percentage. See effective dates and back pay for how far back an award can reach.
Sources
Related conditions
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This page is educational information, not legal advice. VA rules and deadlines change — always confirm details with the official source (38 CFR, M21-1) or your accredited claims agent. Borne Accredited Claims is an accredited VA claims agent under 38 CFR §14.629 and is not part of, or endorsed by, the Department of Veterans Affairs. We do not guarantee any specific outcome.