The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board granted his claim for total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) for substitution purposes.
The deciding factor: The Veteran had multiple service-connected disabilities that significantly impacted his ability to work, including physical impairments from his gunshot wound and fractures, cognitive impairment from cerebrovascular accidents, and depression. His educational background and employment history also supported the conclusion that he was unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
- Claimed conditions
- adjustment disorder with depressed mood, residuals of a gunshot wound, right ankle, with instability and posttraumatic arthritis, diabetes mellitus, type II, with hypertension, retinopathy, and erectile dysfunction, peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities, residuals of a fracture of the right carpal navicular bone, residuals of cerebrovascular accidents
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- July 20, 2020
- Citation
- 20048223
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 20048223.
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
This decision grants service connection for erectile dysfunction and assigns a noncompensable rating, effective November 6, 2020. The Veteran's adjustment disorder with depressed mood is granted as service-connected, also effective November 6, 2020. An effective date prior to November 6, 2020, is denied for the award of service connection for GERD and right lower extremity radiculopathy.,An effective date prior to November 6, 2020, is denied for the award of service connection for GERD and right lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was due to his service-connected adjustment disorder with depressed mood, which contributed substantially or materially to his death. Therefore, service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's initial compensable rating for adjustment disorder with depressed mood is denied, and the claim for service connection for a bilateral foot condition is remanded due to lack of a VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety and depression due to insufficient evidence regarding its etiology.
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