The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and bilateral lower extremity neuropathy, have been found to preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities limit his ability to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his education, experience, and physical limitations caused by his lumbar spine and bilateral lower extremity neuropathy.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease (DDD)/failed back syndrome, Neuropathy of the right lower extremity, Neuropathy of the left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- October 27, 2017
- Citation
- 1748617
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 1748617.
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 appeal is dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and remanded the claim for further development regarding neuropathy of the left lower extremity.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date than July 3, 2019, for awards of service connection for neuropathy in each lower extremity as a matter of law.
- Denied
The Board denied earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection and increased ratings, as well as a compensable rating for allergic rhinitis.
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