The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD), stroke residuals, and peripheral neuropathy, are found to be at least in equipoise as to whether they prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment. As a result, the Board has granted entitlement to total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities effective August 25, 2011.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD), stroke residuals, and peripheral neuropathy, are found to be at least in equipoise as to whether they prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD), Residuals of a stroke with left upper extremity weakness, Left lower extremity muscle weakness associated with residuals of a stroke, Peripheral neuropathy (right leg sciatic nerve)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- May 17, 2021
- Citation
- 21029982
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 21029982.
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 Veteran's claim for service connection for Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) is being remanded due to a failure to provide the Veteran with a VA examination in connection with her claim. The Board finds that this was a pre-decisional duty to assist error and requires rescheduling of the examination.
- Granted
The Board has granted an effective date of August 7, 2023 for the grant of service connection for Degenerative Disc Disease and Intervertebral Disc Syndrome (also claimed as a back condition), and bilateral lower extremity sciatic neuropathy.
- Granted
The Veteran's degenerative disc disease is related to service and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's cervical spine disability and right upper extremity radiculopathy were denied increased evaluations. The TDIU claim was also denied prior to August 20, 2013.
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