The Veteran's service-connected foot and knee disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, leading to the grant of TDIU effective May 11, 2016.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's bilateral foot and knee disabilities made it impossible for him to perform his job as a firefighter due to constant pain and functional limitations.
- Claimed conditions
- Right foot plantar fasciitis with atrophic fat pad, Left foot plantar fasciitis with atrophic fat pad, Right knee patellar or quadriceps tendon rupture, limitation of extension, Left ankle ankylosis, Left ankle sprain residuals, Right knee scar, Tinnitus, Bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- January 26, 2023
- Citation
- 23004970
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 23004970.
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 Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a low back disorder was reopened, and his claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee instability were granted. His hearing loss claim was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for PTSD and dismissed his appeals regarding increased ratings for tinnitus and a right hand disability due to lack of timely filing of Notice of Disagreement.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including GAD, MDD, bruxism, migraines/headaches, tinnitus, hip pain, iliotibial band syndrome, and leg stress fractures. The evidence does not support current diagnoses of these conditions during the appeal period.
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