The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to obtain and maintain gainful employment consistent with his education, training, and work experience.
The deciding factor: VA records indicate the Veteran is limited in his ability to lift, stand, sit, walk, and perform other physical tasks due to his service-connected back and knee disabilities, making it difficult for him to engage in substantially gainful employment.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the thoracic spine, Right knee DJD, Right knee lateral instability, Left knee DJD, Right lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy, Left lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy, Right knee scar (status post right knee surgery)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 20, 2022
- Citation
- 22058982
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 22058982.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
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 SMC(o) was denied as he could not receive multiple awards of SMC(l). The right shoulder bicipital tendonitis rating was denied, and the TDIU claim was granted.
- Granted
Effective dates of June 4, 2022 are granted for service connection for unspecified anxiety disorder, lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis and disc disease, IVDS, spondylosis, scoliosis and healed compression fracture of T7, right lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy, and right lower extremity femoral radiculopathy.,Effective date of October 5, 2023 is granted for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
- Granted
The Veteran is granted a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.
- Granted
The reduction of the Veteran's evaluation for his back disability from 60 percent to 40 percent was improper, and the appeal is granted. The rating in excess of 60 percent for a back disability is denied. The ratings in excess of 20 percent for right lower extremity radiculopathy and left lower extremity radiculopathy are also denied.
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