The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including depressive disorder and degenerative joint disease of the spine and shoulders, effectively preclude her from securing and following substantially gainful employment consistent with her educational and work background.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has significant functional impairment due to her service-connected mental health condition (depressive disorder) and musculoskeletal conditions (lumbar and cervical spine degenerative joint disease, left upper extremity and lower extremity radiculopathy, and left shoulder bursitis), which significantly impact her ability to work.
- Claimed conditions
- Depressive disorder not otherwise specified, Degenerative joint disease lumbar spine, Degenerative joint disease cervical spine, Left upper extremity cervical radiculopathy, Right upper extremity cervical radiculopathy, Left lower extremity lumbar radiculopathy, Left shoulder bursitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 80%
- Decision date
- March 8, 2016
- Citation
- 1609376
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 1609376.
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 cervical spine disability, including right and left upper extremity radiculopathies, is granted as service connected. The issues of right and left upper extremity radiculopathy are remanded for further examination.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis with abnormal curvature of the lumbar spine and left lower extremity lumbar radiculopathy, finding that there is no evidence to support a direct relationship between these conditions and his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to May 30, 2008, for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD, panic disorder with agoraphobia, and depressive disorder not otherwise specified) and a low back disability.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for left upper extremity cervical radiculopathy as secondary to a service-connected cervical spine disability.
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