The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, particularly his back and left ankle conditions, render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board finds that a TDIU is warranted.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's severe pain from his service-connected disabilities, especially his back and left ankle conditions, makes it less likely than not that he would be able to secure substantially gainful sedentary employment given his education and occupational experience.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative arthritis with spinal stenosis, lumbar spine, bullet fragment adjacent to L5 associated with gunshot wound, gunshot wound, left ankle, gunshot wound, abdomen, rheumatism, left lower extremity associated with degenerative arthritis with spinal stenosis, lumbar spine, scar, residual, left ankle
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- March 10, 2015
- Citation
- 1509981
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 1509981.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further examination and consideration due to unclear evidence regarding his employability solely based on service-connected disabilities.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, which include multiple injuries incurred in action and posttraumatic stress disorder, are found to be so disabling that they prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment. The Board grants a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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