The Board has granted an effective date of March 31, 2017 for the grant of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU). This decision is based on evidence showing that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities made him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as of that date.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the earliest date as of which it was factually ascertainable that the Veteran’s service-connected disabilities increased to make him unemployable was March 31, 2017, based on VA treatment records indicating significant pain and interference with daily activities.
- Claimed conditions
- depressive disorder, lumbosacral spine disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 22, 2020
- Citation
- 20068383
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for tinnitus to correct a duty to assist error, as the Veteran's lay statements regarding onset and continuity of symptoms were not adequately considered in the previous decision.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, cubital tunnel syndrome, right plantar fasciitis, and a right knee disability due to the lack of evidence supporting a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of April 25, 2022, for the award of service connection for tinnitus and a 100 percent initial rating for PTSD with alcohol use disorder.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.