The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have made him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment, thus the Board has granted his claim for total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including PTSD, back pain, and other physical impairments, have rendered him unable to work.
- Claimed conditions
- obstructive sleep apnea, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, left foot pes planus with hallux valgus, medial bunion, and degenerative arthritis, right foot pes planus with hallux valgus, medial bunion, degenerative joint disease, status post fracture of 2nd and 4th metatarsals with missing medial sesamoid, left carpal tunnel syndrome, scar, left hand status post burn, scar left forearm, status post burn, onychomycosis, right great toe
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 90%
- Decision date
- October 10, 2019
- Citation
- 19177927
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Partly granted
The Veteran was granted a 70 percent initial disability rating for PTSD effective December 2, 2021, but the claim for an increased rating in excess of 70 percent was denied. The appeal also included claims for service connection and ratings for various conditions, some of which were granted while others were remanded.
- 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).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea due to a duty to assist error.
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