The Veteran's last day of work was April 13, 2013. The Board found that she was no longer able to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due solely to her service-connected back condition within the one-year period prior to filing her TDIU claim.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's last day of work was April 13, 2013. The Board found that she was no longer able to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due solely to her service-connected back condition within the one-year period prior to filing her TDIU claim.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 24, 2024
- Citation
- 24003557
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 899 · Granted: 45% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
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 24003557.
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 has determined that the Veteran's current back disability did not begin during active service and is not related to any in-service injury or disease. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for his low back condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected back disability was denied as the evidence did not show unfavorable ankylosis or its functional equivalent.
- Dismissed
The claims for increased ratings for degenerative disc disease lumbar spine and PTSD were dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the claims for service connection for a lumbar spine condition, left knee condition, left ankle condition, and right ankle condition as they were found to be duplicative appeals. The claim for a neck condition was remanded for further development.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
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.