The Veteran is unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities, including bipolar disorder and physical impairments.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's severe mental health condition (bipolar II Disorder) and multiple physical disabilities prevent him from engaging in substantial gainful employment.
- Claimed conditions
- Bipolar II Disorder, Post-Lumbar Spine Surgery with Residual Decreased Range of Motion, L5-S1 Spondylosis with Disc Space Narrowing at L3-4 and L4-5, Levoscoliosis, Left Lower Extremity Radiculopathy Post-Lumbar Spine Surgery, Right Knee Chondromalacia Patella, Recurrent Bilateral Tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- December 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20081190
Veterans Law Judge
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 20081190.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date and higher initial rating for his back disability is denied. The effective date remains March 29, 2021, as the earliest date of claim. An initial rating in excess of 20 percent for the back disability from March 29, 2021, is also denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's increased rating of 100 percent for bipolar II disorder is granted, effective prior to September 30, 2024. SMC based on housebound criteria is also granted, effective prior to September 30, 2024.
- Granted
The Veteran's right knee disability is granted an increased rating of 60 percent, effective November 3, 2020. The earlier effective date for the 60 percent rating and the grant of service connection for right knee scars are also granted.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have not prevented him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation, as evidenced by his part-time employment during the appeals period.
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