The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including healed fractures of the bilateral tibia and fibula, left knee arthritis, right knee arthritis, lumbar spine arthritis, right knee instability, and plantar fasciitis, preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantial gainful employment as of July 23, 2011. The Board grants a TDIU starting from that date.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are rated at 70% combined, meeting the threshold requirements for a TDIU. His disabilities affect multiple body systems and preclude him from engaging in strenuous or sedentary work due to his inability to sit for extended periods of time and difficulties with stairs and inclines.
- Claimed conditions
- healed fracture of the right tibia and fibula, Healed fracture of the left tibia and fibula, left knee arthritis, right knee arthritis, arthritis of the lumbar spine, right knee instability, plantar fasciitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- December 17, 2015
- Citation
- 1552771
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 1552771.
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 for increased disability ratings and service connection were dismissed. The Board found that the Veteran withdrew his appeal as to the issues of entitlement to increased disability ratings for left foot metatarsalgia, tinnitus, left wrist disability, right foot plantar warts, and for service connection for right foot plantar warts at a September 2024 hearing. Service connection was granted for migraines.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for athletes' foot, low back strain, and plantar fasciitis due to a lack of a VA examination prior to the August 2020 rating decision.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, insomnia, unspecified psychosis, arthritis of the lumbar spine, degenerative disc disease, multilevel spinal stenosis, and arthritis of the cervical spine and degenerative disc disease. The diagnoses are linked to in-service physical assaults.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to April 17, 2019, for the grants of service connection for right knee instability, right knee tendonitis, and right femur fracture are denied.,The Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee instability associated with degenerative arthritis is denied.,The Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee limitation of motion associated with tendonitis with degenerative arthritis is denied.
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