The Department of Veterans Affairs approved new regulations that will make it easier for thousands of veterans to file compensation claims for illnesses linked to traumatic brain injuries, such as dementia, depression and Parkinsonism, the New York Times reported. The regulations will take effect Jan. 16. More than 287,000 active duty service members and veterans have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries, 62,000 of which occurred since the beginning of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. There are currently 51,000 veterans receiving benefits for service-related traumatic brain injuries, all of whom have provided medical evidence that their conditions are the result of their military service, according to the New York Times. The new policy means that once patients prove their injuries were connected to their military service, the department would accept it without requiring further evidence, making vets eligible for further compensation and healthcare for that particular disease. Article