The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment, and his laceration of the right eyebrow does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating. The Veteran’s kidney condition requires additional records to be obtained before a determination can be made.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected disabilities preclude him from securing and following any form of substantially gainful employment, necessitating TDIU benefits. His laceration of the right eyebrow does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating due to lack of characteristics of disfigurement or other pertinent physical findings.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar disc disease, left total knee arthroplasty with prosthesis, rheumatulopathy, right lower extremity, history of fracture of the right fifth finger, kidney stone, laceration of the right eyebrow
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 31, 2019
- Citation
- 19196691
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 19196691.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for left knee strain, lumbar disc disease, and cervical spine disability based on evidence supporting an in-service onset of symptoms that have continued to the present.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the Veteran's claims for a higher disability rating for lumbar disc disease due to inadequate medical examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for a new VA examination to address deficiencies in the previous examination report and to determine the current severity of the Veteran's lumbar disc disease, as well as its impact on his employability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for hepatitis C and related conditions as they are inextricably intertwined.
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