The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including right shoulder arthritis and impingement syndrome, left shoulder glenohumeral arthritis, lower back degenerative joint disease, and anxiety disorder, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's combined disability rating of 70 percent from September 3, 2014; 80 percent from March 24, 2015; 90 percent from July 10, 2015; 100 percent from February 2019; and 90 percent from April 1, 2020, has made it impossible for him to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
- Claimed conditions
- Right shoulder arthritis and impingement syndrome, Left shoulder glenohumeral arthritis s/p reverse total arthoplasty (slap lesion, impingement syndrome and rotator cuff tears), Left elbow tendonitis, Right elbow tendonitis, Lower back degenerative joint disease, Right upper extremity paresthesia (poly neuropathy), Left upper extremity paresthesia, Left knee osteoarthritis, Right knee osteoarthritis, Left lower extremity radiculopathy associated with lower back degenerative joint disease, Right lower extremity radiculopathy associated with lower back degenerative joint disease, Anxiety disorder (also claimed as memory loss)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- October 23, 2019
- Citation
- 19180845
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,858 · Granted: 24% (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 19180845.
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 Veteran's claim for a higher rating for right knee instability is granted, with a 30 percent rating. The claims for increased ratings for right knee osteoarthritis (flexion) and left hip strain, osteoarthritis and bursitis based on painful motion are denied. The claim for an increased rating for right ankle osteoarthritis is also denied.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for osteoarthritis of the right knee and left knee, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service. The issue of entitlement to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is remanded due to potential toxic exposure in service.
- Granted
The Veteran's right knee meniscal tear with osteoarthritis rating was restored to 40%, and an effective date of July 26, 2013, for SMC based on need for aid and attendance was granted. The intermediate rate SMC effective date also aligns with this date.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee condition is etiologically related to service and grants service connection for this disability.
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