The Veteran's TDIU claim for the period prior to April 1, 2016 is being remanded due to additional development needed. The combined disability rating was 50 percent disabling during this period.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has multiple service-connected disabilities that affect his ability to work and meet the minimum schedular criteria for a TDIU.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Knee Total Arthroplasty, Right Knee Patellar Instability, Status Post Right Knee Arthroscopy with Degenerative Joint Disease and Post-Surgical Scarring, Degenerative Disc Disease of the Lumbar Spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- January 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19101179
Veterans Law Judge
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19101179.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
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 Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and Degenerative Disc Disease of the Lumbar Spine due to a duty to assist error. The AOJ is instructed to obtain relevant medical records, including SSA disability records and Federal prison medical records, and request an addendum opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's back disorder.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted a TDIU due to his service-connected PTSD with major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, as well as his lumbar spine disorder. The Board found the evidence in balance regarding whether these conditions render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD is granted as service-connected, and the Board finds that his back disability may be related to service. The case is remanded for a VA examination.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant due to his ability to independently ambulate without aids.
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