The Veteran's service-connected rheumatic heart disease renders him unemployable and he is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinion found that the Veteran’s rheumatic heart disability prevents him from performing a normal eight-hour workday, limiting his activity to sitting with an activity level of three metabolic equivalents (METS) or less.
- Claimed conditions
- rheumatic heart disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- October 30, 2020
- Citation
- 20070554
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.
- Partly granted
The veteran's claim for service connection for rheumatic heart disease was granted. The claim for hypertensive vascular disease was remanded.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for total disability due to individual unemployability for the period prior to March 7, 2011 based on his service-connected rheumatic heart disease and left knee degenerative changes.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disorder, finding that there was no clear and unmistakable evidence of aggravation during service and that any non-rheumatic heart disease conditions did not manifest within one year of separation from service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to deficiencies in the medical opinion provided by the August 2020 VA examiner. The Veteran's heart diseases need to be evaluated for their likely etiology, considering service treatment records and previous medical opinions.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.