The Veteran's service-connected disabilities combine to a 90 percent disability rating, rendering him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's combined service-connected disabilities render him unemployable due to physical and mental impairment caused by his conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Sleep apnea, cardiomegaly, left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome and patellar chondromalacia with osteoarthritis, right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome and patellar chondromalacia with osteoarthritis, right foot hallux valgus with bunion deformity and degenerative arthritis, left shoulder strain and tendonitis, right shoulder strain and tendonitis, left wrist and hand strain, lumbosacral spine strain with degenerative arthritis, tinnitus, varicose veins of the left lower extremity, varicose veins of the right lower extremity, scars of the left chest, hypertension, recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 90%
- Decision date
- August 8, 2017
- Citation
- 1731989
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 1731989.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
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