The Veteran's appeal for an initial disability rating in excess of 40 percent for his service-connected low back disorder was withdrawn. The Board granted the TDIU claim, finding that the Veteran is unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has multiple service-connected disabilities, including ankylosing spondylitis of the lumbar spine, which make it impossible for him to work as a truck driver. His combined disability rating is 70 percent, meeting the criteria for TDIU.
- Claimed conditions
- ankylosing spondylitis of the lumbar spine, osteoarthritis and degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, osteoarthritis of the right shoulder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- February 3, 2017
- Citation
- 1703202
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 1703202.
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 Board has determined that the Veteran's ankylosing spondylitis of the lumbar spine is related to service and grants service connection for this condition.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating for osteoarthritis of the right shoulder and a TDIU, finding that the evidence did not support higher ratings or entitlement to a TDIU.
- Dismissed
The appeal for an earlier effective date for residuals of a right shoulder injury with osteoarthritis was dismissed because the issue was not adjudicated in the September 2022 rating decision.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for ankylosing spondylitis of the cervical spine and lumbar spine, finding that it is at least as likely as not related to environmental factors during active military service. Service connection was also granted for a bilateral hip condition, but this issue is remanded due to insufficient medical opinion regarding its relationship to service-connected conditions.
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