The Veteran is unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment due to service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, degenerative arthritis of the knees, hypertension, obesity, IVDS with secondary obesity, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy. The Board has granted a total rating for compensation purposes based on individual unemployability prior to September 14, 2018.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including multiple musculoskeletal issues, cardiovascular problems, obesity, and diabetes, combine to render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.
- Claimed conditions
- coronary artery disease, degenerative arthritis of the left knee, degenerative arthritis of the right knee, polyuria, hypertension and microalbuminuria, IVDS with degenerative arthritis and osteoporosis of the lumbar spine (including secondary obesity), diabetic peripheral neuropathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- December 14, 2018
- Citation
- 18158359
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 18158359.
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 for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for coronary artery disease, which is presumed related to in-service exposure to herbicide agents.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, type II, left eye diabetic retinopathy, left foot diabetic peripheral neuropathy, right foot diabetic peripheral neuropathy, and coronary artery disease, as well as the Veteran's cause of death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for coronary artery disease to correct duty to assist errors, as there are no adequate medical opinions of record.
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