The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including undifferentiated somatoform disorder and anxiety disorder with mood swings, lack of concentration, memory loss and fatigue, have rendered him unable to maintain substantially gainful employment due to his physical limitations and mental health issues.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's combination of service-connected disabilities has significantly impacted his ability to work in a structured environment, leading to reduced productivity and frequent absences from work.
- Claimed conditions
- undifferentiated somatoform disorder, anxiety disorder with mood swings, lack of concentration, memory loss and fatigue, sinus arrhythmia / supraventricular auricular beats, painful motion of the right shoulder, gastrointestinal disorder, headaches, contact dermatitis, painful motion of the cervical spine, painful motion of the left hip, painful motion of the right hip, painful motion of the left knee, painful motion of the right knee, painful motion of the left ankle, painful motion of the right ankle, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 90%
- Decision date
- October 16, 2018
- Citation
- 18142183
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 18142183.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded claims for insomnia and sleep apnea. Other conditions were denied.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for headaches and increased ratings for left shoulder rotator cuff tear, right shoulder rotator cuff tear, hypertension, and left and right leg restless leg syndrome. The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for tinnitus to correct a duty to assist error, as the Veteran's lay statements regarding onset and continuity of symptoms were not adequately considered in the previous decision.
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