The Veteran's service-connected nephropathy alone prevents him from securing or following substantially gainful employment, and he is granted TDIU. Additionally, the Veteran meets the criteria for SMC at the housebound rate due to his service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The evidence shows that the Veteran’s service-connected nephropathy makes it difficult for him to secure and follow substantially gainful employment, with no other significant service-connected disabilities preventing him from doing so. The combined rating of 100% for TDIU is sufficient to meet the criteria for SMC at the housebound rate.
- Claimed conditions
- nephropathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 80%
- Decision date
- August 20, 2020
- Citation
- 20055219
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 20055219.
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 has granted service connection for nephropathy as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus type II.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal seeking service connection for nephropathy during a Board hearing.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter of entitlement to service connection for nephropathy, as further medical evaluation is needed to determine if it is secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus and considering the Veteran's presumed exposure to herbicides during his service in Vietnam.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for nephropathy, and remanded several other claims including those for a vitamin deficiency, right inguinal hernia, and sarcoidosis due to insufficient evidence.
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