The Veteran's back disability is not related to his military service and was not caused by or aggravated by his service connected pes planus. The Board finds that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including dysthymia and anxiety disorder, bilateral pes planus, tension headaches, degenerative joint disease of the right knee, and degenerative joint disease of the left knee, preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.,The Veteran has multiple service-connected disabilities that are rated at 100% combined, meeting the criteria for TDIU.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's back disability is not related to his military service and was not caused by or aggravated by his service connected pes planus. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including dysthymia and anxiety disorder, bilateral pes planus, tension headaches, degenerative joint disease of the right knee, and degenerative joint disease of the left knee, preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
- Claimed conditions
- Back Disability, Dysthymia and Anxiety Disorder, Bilateral Pes Planus, Tension Headaches, Degenerative Joint Disease of the Right Knee, Degenerative Joint Disease of the Left Knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- July 12, 2017
- Citation
- 1726733
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 1726733.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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- Granted
The Veteran is granted SMC at the rate of 50% for his service-connected conditions from April 20, 2020 to June 7, 2021.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection and earlier effective dates for tension headaches and lower back condition. The remaining issues of service connection for eye, neck, persistent cough, TBI residuals, and bilateral leg conditions are REMANDED.
- Granted
The Veteran's tension headaches are rated at a 10% disability rating, effective from the date of the June 2020 decision. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable.
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