The Veteran is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities from December 24, 2016. Prior to that date, he was working and did not meet the criteria for TDIU as he was not unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation by reason of service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's severe occupational limitations resulting from his lower extremity/knee disabilities and PDD are supported by credible reports and treatment records, which outweigh any minimal volunteer work in 2017.
- Claimed conditions
- Persistent depressive disorder (PDD), Bilateral knee scars, Left and right knee instability, Right chondromalacia with degenerative arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- October 17, 2024
- Citation
- 24031916
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 3,217 · Granted: 46% (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 24031916.
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 the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including radiculopathy of the left upper and lower extremities, bilateral knee scars, a headache condition, and lumbosacral strain.
- Partly granted
The Board denied earlier effective dates for the award of service connection and increased ratings, except for a 40 percent rating for degenerative arthritis of the spine which was granted with an effective date of November 9, 2012.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder and persistent depressive disorder, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, bilateral knee replacements, ischemic heart disease, and bilateral hearing loss, make it impossible for him to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment. As a result, the Board has granted entitlement to Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU).
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