The veteran's service-connected disabilities are of such severity as to preclude all forms of substantially gainful employment, and the Board has determined that he meets the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.
The deciding factor: The veteran's multiple service-connected disabilities, including sleep apnea and diabetes with peripheral neuropathy, render him unable to engage in substantially gainful employment.
- Claimed conditions
- sleep apnea, diabetes with peripheral neuropathy, residuals, fracture of the left tibia plateau, bilateral degenerative joint disease of the knees, residuals, removal of colon polyps, cervical strain, residuas first and second degree burns of the face, peptic ulcer disease, hiatal hernia, rhinopharyngitis, sinusitis with headache, upper respiratory infection, rhinitis, bronchitis, pharyngitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- November 22, 2002
- Citation
- 0216978
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 0216978.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a direct service connection opinion and an adequate secondary service connection aggravation opinion.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded claims for insomnia and sleep apnea. Other conditions were denied.
- 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).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including sinusitis, elbows condition, cervical condition, erectile dysfunction, kidney condition, sleep apnea, wrists condition, asthma, shoulders condition, ankles condition, eye condition (bilateral dry macular degeneration), peripheral vascular disease (heart condition), and rhinitis.
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