The Veteran is unable to maintain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities, and the Board finds that these conditions alone render him unemployable.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's multiple service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, bilateral knee arthritis, and visual impairment from a shell fragment wound, combine to make it impossible for him to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.
- Claimed conditions
- Residuals of shell fragment wound of the right eye, Diabetes mellitus, type 2, Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Right knee arthritis, Left knee arthritis, Facial scars, Multiple scars of the right lower extremity, Multiple scars of the left lower extremity, Residuals of a left tibia fracture, Inactive otitis media of the right ear, Malaria, Residuals of fracture of the nasal bone, Right hand scars and wrist discoloration, Hookworm infestation, Bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 80%
- Decision date
- September 24, 2012
- Citation
- 1232960
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 1232960.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a low back disorder was reopened, and his claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee instability were granted. His hearing loss claim was denied.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the (o) rate and SMC at the (r)(2) rate, effective January 19, 2025. The decision finds that the Veteran's service-connected conditions warrant these awards due to his need for aid and attendance.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeals of the initial ratings for his service-connected chronic cough and bilateral hearing loss are remanded due to procedural errors in the evidentiary record.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral pes planus with hammer toes, hallux valgus and degenerative arthritis, sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and bilateral kidney cysts, rendered him unable to secure or follow gainful employment. The Board granted the TDIU based on these conditions.
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