The Veteran's service-connected degenerative changes of the lumbar spine are rated at 40 percent, and he meets the criteria for a TDIU due to his combined disability rating of 70 percent. The Board finds that the Veteran is unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's combined disability rating of 70 percent, including his degenerative changes of the lumbar spine and various knee disabilities, meets the criteria for a TDIU as per VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative changes of the lumbar spine, Right and left knee disabilities, Painful scar of the left thumb
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- August 13, 2013
- Citation
- 1325608
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 1325608.
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 service-connected disabilities have prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment since October 1, 2009. The Board has granted an effective earlier date of October 1, 2009 for a TDIU.
- Granted
The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted with an effective date of July 1, 2012. The Board found that the Veteran was unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to service-connected right and left knee disabilities as of February 3, 2014, but stopped working in late June 2012.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal was denied as he did not meet the criteria for attorney fees based on past-due benefits awarded in a June 2024 rating decision. The appellant is not entitled to fees because the initial decision granting past-due benefits was not reviewed by an attorney or agent.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disability, finding that the VA examination and opinion were inadequate as they did not consider the Veteran's complete medical history. The case is now to be reviewed with an addendum VA opinion.
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