The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have consistently precluded him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation since February 2000, with the exception of a brief period in June 2010 to May 2012 when he was employed.
The deciding factor: Service-connected disabilities including cognitive disorders, spinal injuries, and neurological conditions have rendered the Veteran unable to engage in substantially gainful employment since February 2000.
- Claimed conditions
- thoracic and lumbar degenerative disc disease, cognitive disorder with major depressive disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder, right long thoracic nerve, ligamentous injury of the left medial MCP joint, cervical disc degeneration, residuals of a medial collateral ligamentous injury of the left knee with mild genu valgus deformity, chronic headaches, right ulnar nerve neuropathy (major), right lower extremity radiculopathy, left shoulder impingement syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 90%
- Decision date
- July 9, 2015
- Citation
- 1529493
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 1529493.
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 appeals were dismissed due to the death of the appellant. The issues related to service connection for various conditions and disability ratings.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability.
- Granted
The Board has granted earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection for middle and index trigger finger/stenosing tenosynovitis of the right hand, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy. The earliest effective date is June 30, 2012, for the right hand condition and April 22, 2016, for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and DDD, as well as right and left lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to the now service-connected lumbar spine condition. The decision is based on a finding of relative equipoise in the evidence regarding whether these conditions are related to service.
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