The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, meeting the schedular criteria for TDIU since February 8, 2016. The Board has referred the case to the Under Secretary for Benefits or Director of Compensation and Pension Service for an extra-schedular evaluation under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(b).
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (residuals of lumbar muscle strain with degenerative disc disease, adjustment disorder with depressed mood, patellofemoral syndrome in bilateral knees, radiculopathy in bilateral lower extremities for the sciatic and femoral nerves) render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of lumbar muscle strain with degenerative disc disease and IVDS, adjustment disorder with depressed mood, patellofemoral syndrome in bilateral knees, rheumatoid arthritis (implied by erectile dysfunction), radiculopathy in bilateral lower extremities for the sciatic nerve, radiculopathy in bilateral lower extremities for the femoral nerve
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 80%
- Decision date
- February 6, 2018
- Citation
- 1807721
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 1807721.
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
This decision grants service connection for erectile dysfunction and assigns a noncompensable rating, effective November 6, 2020. The Veteran's adjustment disorder with depressed mood is granted as service-connected, also effective November 6, 2020. An effective date prior to November 6, 2020, is denied for the award of service connection for GERD and right lower extremity radiculopathy.,An effective date prior to November 6, 2020, is denied for the award of service connection for GERD and right lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was due to his service-connected adjustment disorder with depressed mood, which contributed substantially or materially to his death. Therefore, service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's initial compensable rating for adjustment disorder with depressed mood is denied, and the claim for service connection for a bilateral foot condition is remanded due to lack of a VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety and depression due to insufficient evidence regarding its etiology.
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