Veterans assume a TBI rating averages their impairments together. DC 8045 does the opposite: ten facets are scored and the single worst one sets the rating, so one facet at level 3 is 70 percent even if every other facet sits at zero. The gate between 10 and 40 percent is objective testing, which is why asking for a neuropsychological evaluation by name matters more than any other move.
How VA rates a traumatic brain injury
Residuals of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) are rated under diagnostic code 8045 in 38 CFR 4.124a. The rule recognizes that a brain injury can leave three very different kinds of lasting effects, and it handles each one differently:
- Cognitive effects: memory, attention, concentration, and executive functions.
- Emotional and behavioral effects.
- Physical effects: headaches, dizziness, vision problems, seizures, and others.
The ten facet table
VA scores cognitive impairment and related residuals across ten facets: memory, attention, concentration, and executive functions; judgment; social interaction; orientation; motor activity; visual spatial orientation; subjective symptoms; neurobehavioral effects; communication; and consciousness. Each facet is assigned a level of 0, 1, 2, 3, or total, and the rating is set by the single highest facet, not by adding them up:
| Highest facet level | TBI rating |
|---|---|
| 0 | 0 percent |
| 1 | 10 percent |
| 2 | 40 percent |
| 3 | 70 percent |
| Total, on any one facet | 100 percent |
One facet at level 3 produces a 70 percent rating even if every other facet sits at 0. The consciousness facet only has a total level, because any impairment of consciousness is totally disabling.
The jump from 10 to 40 percent usually turns on one thing: objective evidence on testing. Level 1 covers complaints of mild memory loss without objective evidence; level 2 requires testing that documents mild impairment. Objective evidence from any validated testing can satisfy the level 2 threshold, and a neuropsychological evaluation is the most comprehensive tool for documenting it. VA will rarely order any such testing unless the record pushes for it, so requesting a neuropsychological evaluation by name is often the most consequential step.
Emotional and physical residuals are rated separately
- If emotional or behavioral problems carry a mental disorder diagnosis (depression, PTSD, and others), VA rates them under the mental disorders formula in 38 CFR 4.130 instead of the facet table, using whichever approach best captures the impairment, without counting the same symptoms twice.
- Physical residuals each get their own rating. Post-traumatic headaches go under DC 8100, seizures, tinnitus, vision problems, and scars under their own codes, and each of those ratings combines with the facet table evaluation under 38 CFR 4.25.
The anti-pyramiding rule (38 CFR 4.14) is the guardrail: distinct effects are rated separately, but the same symptom is never counted twice.
The SMC-T secret: aid and attendance at the top rate
Buried at the end of DC 8045 is an instruction to consider special monthly compensation, and for TBI there is a level most families never hear about. Under 38 U.S.C. 1114(t) and 38 CFR 3.350(j), a veteran who needs regular aid and attendance for TBI residuals, is not eligible for the higher level care rate under 1114(r)(2), and who would otherwise require hospitalization, a nursing home, or other residential institutional care, is paid SMC-T, which pays at the same monthly rate as SMC R.2, the highest tier in the SMC system.
The numbers explain why this matters. In the 2026 rate table a 100 percent rating alone pays 3,938.58 dollars a month for a veteran with no dependents; SMC-T pays 11,271.67 dollars a month. The aid and attendance need does not have to be medical nursing care: the DC 8045 text itself says to consider aid and attendance including for protection from the hazards or dangers of the daily environment due to cognitive impairment, judged under the criteria of 38 CFR 3.352. A spouse or family member providing the supervision at home counts; there is no requirement that the caregiver be a licensed professional. If a veteran with severe TBI residuals lives at home only because family keeps him or her safe, SMC-T is the benefit to raise, by name, in the claim.
The labels that do not matter
- A "mild TBI" in the service records does not cap the rating. Note (4) to DC 8045 says mild, moderate, and severe classify the original injury, not the current level of functioning, and they do not affect the rating.
- Old TBI ratings can be reopened without new worsening. Note (5) lets any veteran rated under the pre-October 23, 2008 version of DC 8045 request review under the current criteria, at any time, with no need to show the condition got worse.
Common rating details veterans overlook
- The highest single facet sets the cognitive rating. A level 3 in one area is worth 70 percent; strength across the board is not required.
- Push for neuropsychological testing. Objective evidence is the gate between 10 and 40 percent.
- Headaches after a TBI are a separate rating under DC 8100 that combines with the facet evaluation, and they are routinely missed.
- "Subjective symptoms" is a real facet. Fatigue, irritability, insomnia, and trouble concentrating count even when imaging is normal.
- Document the everyday impact. Note (3) measures independence through instrumental activities of daily living: cooking, chores, shopping, managing medication, handling money. Statements from family about supervision and safety are exactly the evidence 3.352 asks for.
Related on this site
- How VA rates mental disorders (38 CFR 4.130)
- How VA rates migraines (DC 8100)
- Secondary service connection, explained
- The C&P exam: what to expect and how to prepare
Common questions
How does the TBI facet table work?
VA scores cognitive impairment across ten facets (memory and executive functions, judgment, social interaction, orientation, motor activity, visual spatial orientation, subjective symptoms, neurobehavioral effects, communication, and consciousness), each at level 0, 1, 2, 3, or total. The single highest facet sets the rating: level 0 is 0 percent, 1 is 10, 2 is 40, 3 is 70, and total on any one facet is 100 percent. One facet at level 3 produces 70 percent even if every other facet sits at 0.
What separates a 10 percent from a 40 percent TBI rating?
Usually one thing: objective evidence on testing. Level 1 covers complaints of mild memory loss without objective evidence; level 2 requires testing that documents the impairment. VA will rarely order that testing unless the record pushes for it, so requesting a neuropsychological evaluation by name is often the most consequential step in a TBI claim.
Are headaches and emotional problems after a TBI rated separately?
Yes. Emotional or behavioral residuals with a mental disorder diagnosis are rated under the mental disorders formula instead of the facet table, whichever best captures the impairment. Physical residuals each get their own code: post traumatic headaches under DC 8100, plus seizures, tinnitus, vision problems, and scars under theirs, and each combines with the facet evaluation under 38 CFR 4.25.
What is SMC-T and why does it matter for TBI?
SMC-T is special monthly compensation for a veteran who needs regular aid and attendance for TBI residuals and would otherwise require institutional care; it pays at the same rate as SMC R.2, the highest tier. In the 2026 table that is 11,271.67 dollars a month versus 3,938.58 for a 100 percent rating alone. The aid does not have to be nursing care: protection from the hazards of the daily environment counts, and a spouse or family member providing supervision at home qualifies.
Does a mild TBI diagnosis cap my rating?
No. A note to DC 8045 says mild, moderate, and severe classify the original injury, not the current level of functioning, and do not affect the rating. Another note lets any veteran rated under the pre October 2008 version of DC 8045 request review under the current criteria at any time, with no need to show worsening.