The Veteran's service-connected feet, knee, and hip disabilities prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, warranting a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.
The deciding factor: The evidence shows that the Veteran's service-connected conditions significantly impact his ability to perform physical labor or stand for prolonged periods, preventing him from engaging in any type of substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational experience.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the knees bilaterally, Bilateral shin splints, Bilateral retro-patellar syndrome, Bilateral pes planus, Bilateral plantar fascitis, Bilateral metatarsalgia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- October 10, 2024
- Citation
- A24064942
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.
- Granted
The Board granted earlier effective dates of November 5, 2021, for the grants of service connection and eligibility for DEA benefits.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include alcohol use disorder, unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress, and PTSD was granted. Other claims for various conditions were denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an adequate VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any right foot disability, including consideration of bilateral pes planus.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) as it was not factually ascertainable that he was unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment prior to April 28, 2016.
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