The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s service-connected disabilities, including bilateral knee and hip conditions, were considered but did not render him unemployable for all physical or sedentary labor.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Knee Pain, Left Hip Pain, Degenerative Disc Disease (Lumbar Spine), Patellar Chondromalacia (Right Knee), Degenerative Joint Disease with Limited Extension of the Right Hip, Degenerative Joint Disease with Limited Extension of the Left Hip, Bilateral Foot Disorders (Plantar Fasciitis)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- January 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20007142
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,050 · Granted: 23% (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 20007142.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including GAD, MDD, bruxism, migraines/headaches, tinnitus, hip pain, iliotibial band syndrome, and leg stress fractures. The evidence does not support current diagnoses of these conditions during the appeal period.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is likely due to his service-connected lumbar spine and radiculopathy conditions, with tramadol use possibly causing the condition by October 25, 2012. The effective date for ED will be remanded.,Due to the inextricably intertwined nature of the issues, including the need to determine if tramadol caused ED prior to August 30, 2013, the SMC issue is also remanded.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment, granting his claim for TDIU.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for low back, right shoulder, left shoulder, right hip, and left hip disorders based on the Veteran's active duty service. The conditions are considered to be directly related to his military duties.
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