The veteran's claim for TDIU was granted effective December 4, 1996. The Board found that the preponderance of evidence did not support an earlier effective date.
The deciding factor: The veteran was previously service-connected for left leg disabilities and a lumbar spine disorder. The addition of the lumbar spine disorder to his existing conditions demonstrated he was unemployable due to these disabilities, warranting TDIU from December 4, 1996.
- Claimed conditions
- status post patellectomy with traumatic arthritis, left thigh atrophy, left calf atrophy, degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 80%
- Decision date
- October 15, 2001
- Citation
- 0124650
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0124650.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, finding that the evidence did not support a causal relationship between the Veteran's current disability and his active military service.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder and dismissed the appeal for compensation for right lower extremity radiculopathy, while remanding the claim for left calf atrophy.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the veteran's claims for increased ratings due to a need for additional development, including VA examinations and clarification of the Veteran's wishes regarding his claims.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hypertension, an increased rating for a stroke and stroke residuals, and an increased rating for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine.
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