What is the Criteria for 70% TBI Disability Rating?
What is the Criteria for 70% TBI Disability Rating? After VA grants service connection for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI disability), VA must determine the correct rating percentage. As a result, the rating percentage determines how much money VA must pay to the veteran. Rather than assign percentages subjectively, VA uses criteria in the Schedule of Ratings.
What is a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)?
A TBI is a physical injury to the brain that can impact normal brain function. Because TBIs vary in severity and impact different areas of the brain, there are a great many possible symptoms. Some common symptoms include:
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Nausea or vomiting
- Ringing in the ears
- Visual disturbances
- Sleepiness or fatigue
- Mood changes
- Agitation
- Memory problems
- Balance problems
- Light sensitivity
- Speech problems
- Seizures
- Sleep disturbances
These symptoms may occur in different combinations, and may be accompanied by other symptoms. Some symptoms resolve on their own in a fairly short time, while others may be long-term or may lessen slowly over a period of months–or even years. That means some TBIs create lifelong limitations.
How Do TBI’s Happen?
Most traumatic brain injuries are caused by a blow to the head or the head being slammed into an object. Less frequently, they are caused by penetrating injuries, such as a shrapnel entering the brain or a gunshot wound to the head.
In some cases, a TBI happens without anything external making contact with the head. One way this happens is when a strong jolt to the body causes the head to snap forward or back. In that situation, the brain can bang against the inside of the skull. Another way a TBI can occur without physical contact with the head is through blast waves from an explosion.
Since both physical impact and being near an explosion can cause TBIs, it should come as no surprise that they are common among veterans. According to the VA, at least 185,000 veterans who use the VA for healthcare have been diagnosed with at least one traumatic brain injury. The Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center reported that 414,000 U.S. service members sustained TBIs between 2000 and 2019.
TBIs aren’t presumed service-connected, so it will be up to you and your VA disability benefits advocate to establish a connection between your military service and your brain injury. The type of evidence required to show this connection will depend on when and how the injury occurred, whether you were diagnosed during military service, and other factors.
VA Schedule of Rating Criteria for 70% TBI Disability Rating
The VA Schedule of Ratings breaks down disabilities into different categories. First, each category contains groups of medical problems. Second, each group contains a list of disabilities. Each disability has its own diagnostic code. Thirdly, every diagnostic code specifies the symptoms required for various ratings. For example, the 8045 diagnostic code covers residuals of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). However, it is important to note that if one or more manifestations of service-connected TBI would qualify the veteran for a higher disability rating when evaluated separately, that higher rating should be assigned.
How is a TBI disability rated?
The VA divides the rating criteria for TBI disability into 10 categories.
Veterans are rated based on the level of severity and impairment in each of these areas:
1. Memory, attention, concentration, and executive functions, including goal setting, planning, self-monitoring, and flexibility in changing actions when they are not productive.
2. Judgment: a veteran’s ability to make reasonable decisions.
3. Social interaction: how often a veteran acts appropriately in social situations.
4. Orientation: a veteran’s awareness of who, where, and when he is.
5. Motor activities: a veteran’s ability to perform previously learned motor activities (such as riding a bike).
6. Visual-spatial orientation: A veteran gets lost, even in familiar surroundings, or cannot point at or name their own body parts.
7. Subjective symptoms: symptoms that cannot be measured with objective tests, such as panic attacks and thoughts of suicide.
8. Neurobehavioral effects: examples include lack of motivation, verbal aggression, physical aggression, and lack of empathy.
9. Ability to communicate: Can the veteran communicate either by spoken or written language or communicate basic needs?
10. Consciousness: Is the veteran in a coma or a vegetative state?
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) residual scale
VA rates TBI residuals on a scale of 0, 1, 2, 3, or total. Each increment corresponds to a disability rating:
- 0 = 0% (normal functioning)
- 1 = 10% (mild)
- 2 = 40% (moderate)
- 3 = 70% (severe)
- Total = 100%
The VA will award a 100% TBI disability rating if any residuals of TBI are rated “total”. Conversely, the VA will assign a percentage based on the highest-rated residual if no residual is rated “total”. For example, let’s say a veteran has TBI residuals in 3 out of the 10 categories. Therefore, he has a 1 for judgment, a 3 for the ability to communicate, and a 2 for orientation. In this example, VA will award 70% because 3 is the highest residual rating.
Benefits of a 70% VA Disability Rating
From December 1, 2025 to November 30, 2026, the base monthly VA disability benefit for a veteran with a 70% disability rating is $1,808.45. The veteran is also entitled to healthcare services, and may receive increased monthly benefits if they have children.
A veteran with a TBI disability rating may also be entitled to an increased rating based on any medical conditions secondary to the service-connected TBI. Several conditions are presumed to be secondary to traumatic brain injury.
In addition, a veteran with a 70% disability rating who is unable to work due to their service-connected condition may be eligible for a TDIU (total disability due to individual unemployability) classification. A veteran with a TDIU designation receives benefits at the 100% level. In 2026, that’s $3,938.58/month.
Special Monthly Compensation
A veteran may receive special monthly compensation, in addition to a 70% rating, for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). As a result, the question is simple: Does your 70% rated TBI disability render you so helpless that you require the regular aid and attendance of another person?
Disability Help Group Case Study
Disability Help Group represented a veteran of the Army who had TBI at 10%. After increasing his rating to 70% for Traumatic Brain Injury, we continued fighting for him to receive special monthly compensation. We were able to prove that he could not care for himself, because the local VA hospital appointed his mother as his VA caregiver. Among other duties, she assisted with medication management, personal hygiene, reminding him of and taking him to appointments, and paying his bill. Therefore, we proved the veteran had a permanent need for regular aid and attendance due to his TBI.
As a result, VA granted Special Monthly Compensation at the (r)(2) rate, increasing monthly payment from $264.02 to $8,343.91.
Do you believe you meet the criteria for a 70% rating for TBI disability? Be sure you start your claim the right way and apply for all the benefits you deserve. Our team is ranked top 7 disability advocates nationwide, and we’re ready to fight for you!
Call our team of experts today at (800) 800-3332 or contact us here for your FREE consultation!
FAQs: Criteria for 70% TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) Disability Rating
1. What qualifies a veteran for a 70% TBI disability rating?
A 70% rating is typically given when TBI symptoms cause significant functional impairment, including major cognitive deficits, severe memory loss, or notable behavioral changes that interfere with daily life and work.
2. How does the VA evaluate TBI severity for a 70% rating?
The VA looks at medical records, neuropsychological testing, and evidence of functional limitations. Key factors include cognitive dysfunction, emotional instability, neurological deficits, and the ability to perform daily activities independently.
3. Can a veteran’s TBI rating increase over time?
Yes. If symptoms worsen or new impairments develop, veterans can request a reevaluation or submit a secondary claim. The VA may adjust the rating to reflect increased disability, including potentially moving from 70% to 100% if warranted.
