The veteran's service-connected disabilities have been shown to be of such severity as to preclude substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.
The deciding factor: The combined rating for all service-connected disabilities is 80%, which meets the criteria for TDIU when one disability is rated at least 40% disabling and there are sufficient additional disabilities to bring the combined rating to 70% or more. The veteran's service-connected conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, arthritis of the left foot, tinnitus, and arthritis of the left knee, significantly impair his physical functioning required for his training as a construction worker.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), arthritis of the first metatarsal joint of the left foot, tinnitus, arthritis of the left knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 80%
- Decision date
- June 1, 2007
- Citation
- 0716276
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 0716276.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
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