The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) since October 29, 2012. The right ear hearing loss disability was not referred for an extraschedular evaluation.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him incapable of securing and following substantially gainful employment due to the combined effects of his conditions including diabetes mellitus, diabetic neuropathy, coronary artery disease, lumbar disability, hypertension, cerebrovascular accident residuals, erectile dysfunction, and right ear hearing loss.
- Claimed conditions
- Right ear hearing loss, Diabetes mellitus, Left upper extremity diabetic neuropathy, Right upper extremity diabetic neuropathy, Left lower extremity diabetic neuropathy, Right lower extremity diabetic neuropathy, Coronary artery disease, Lumbar disability, Hypertension, Residuals of cerebrovascular accident, Erectile dysfunction
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- January 9, 2019
- Citation
- 19102027
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,549 · Granted: 29% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
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 19102027.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for hypertension and has remanded the issue of an increased rating for skin condition.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for residuals of prostate cancer due to VA's failure to notify him of his April 17, 2008, elevated PSA test results and its failure to timely diagnose and properly treat his disease.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.