The veteran's service-connected disabilities, alone, have rendered him unable to pursue or maintain gainful employment.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner opined that the veteran's service-connected bilateral knee and ankle problems would preclude gainful physical employment but not sedentary employment. The Board granted a TDIU rating by extending the benefit of the doubt to the veteran.
- Claimed conditions
- Chondromalacia left patella, Left ankle fusion with osteomyelitis associated with chondromalacia left patella, Arthritic changes, right ankle, Mild degenerative changes, right knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- January 5, 2009
- Citation
- 0900279
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 left hip osteoarthritis and right hip osteoarthritis as secondary to the Veteran's now service-connected knee disabilities, but denied service connection for a variety of other conditions including bilateral ankle, shoulder, foot, mood disorder, tinnitus, hyperlipidemia, and knees.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral foot and ankle conditions to correct a duty to assist error, requiring medical opinions on their relationship to the Veteran's service.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the claims for earlier effective dates and higher ratings for various conditions, including left eye condition, right eye condition, hypertension, left knee, right knee, obstructive sleep apnea, and coronary artery disease (CAD), as well as denied an earlier effective date for CAD.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for a right ankle disability to obtain an addendum opinion.
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