The veteran's combined disability rating is in excess of 70 percent, meeting the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The veteran's service-connected disabilities combine to render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
- Claimed conditions
- low back strain, panic disorder with agoraphobia and depression, left knee strain, ACM disability (Arnold-Chiari Malformation with C2-C3 fusion, diplopia, headaches, and extreme weakness), hypertension, craniotomy associated with ACM disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 80%
- Decision date
- February 4, 2004
- Citation
- 0403201
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 0403201.
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 headaches and increased ratings for left shoulder rotator cuff tear, right shoulder rotator cuff tear, hypertension, and left and right leg restless leg syndrome. The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for left knee strain, right knee strain, right wrist strain, and TBI. The Veteran's PTSD rating was remanded for further development.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma but denied it for hypertension.
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