The veteran's service-connected disabilities, including intervertebral disc syndrome of the lumbar spine and bilateral hearing loss, prevent him from securing and following gainful employment. The Board has granted a total disability rating for compensation on the basis of individual unemployability (TDIU).
The deciding factor: The veteran's severe back disability, specifically his service-connected intervertebral disc syndrome with damage to the L5-S1 nerve root causing sensory change and muscle weakness, along with his bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, rendered him unable to engage in substantially gainful employment.
- Claimed conditions
- intervertebral disc syndrome of the lumbar spine, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 80%
- Decision date
- April 4, 2002
- Citation
- 0203044
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 0203044.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded claims for insomnia and sleep apnea. Other conditions were denied.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for tinnitus to correct a duty to assist error, as the Veteran's lay statements regarding onset and continuity of symptoms were not adequately considered in the previous decision.
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