The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are rated at 90 percent combined, and the Board finds that they preclude his participation in substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and work experience. A TDIU rating is granted.
The deciding factor: The combined effect of all service-connected disabilities (including psychiatric and orthopedic conditions) severely limits the Veteran's ability to engage in physically demanding employment, thus preventing him from participating in any regular substantially gainful employment.
- Claimed conditions
- Major Depressive Disorder, Lumbar Spine Disability, Left Ankle Disability, Residuals of Left Tibia Fracture, Left Foot Disability, Left Knee Disability, Left Tibia Osteomyelitis, Left Hip Osteomyelitis, Left Hip Limitation of Extension, Left Hip Limitation of Flexion
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 90%
- Decision date
- May 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19138548
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,699 · Granted: 17% (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 19138548.
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 Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities are rated at 10% each, and the Board finds that higher ratings are not warranted based on the evidence of record.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are not related to his active service, and thus denied both claims for service connection.
- Granted
The Veteran's major depressive disorder is found to be caused by his service-connected low back and radiculopathy disabilities, which prevent him from doing enjoyable activities and daily living tasks.
- Denied
The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds no evidence of clear and unmistakable error in assigning an effective date of June 19, 2002.
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