The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including persistent depressive disorder with anxious distress, lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, sciatic radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities, chronic left ankle sprain, left knee strain, tinnitus, and left hand eczema with resolved cellulitis, do not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are rated at 90% combined effective November 3, 2021, which meets the schedular criteria for a TDIU. However, his employment history and current evidence do not support entitlement to a TDIU as he has been retired since November 2016.
- Claimed conditions
- persistent depressive disorder with anxious distress, lumbar spine degenerative arthritis with degenerative disc disease and intervertebral disc syndrome, sciatic radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities, chronic left ankle sprain, left knee strain, tinnitus, left hand eczema with resolved cellulitis, left knee strain limitation of extension
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 90%
- Decision date
- December 31, 2024
- Citation
- A24086728
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 A24086728.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded claims for insomnia and sleep apnea. Other conditions were denied.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for left knee strain, right knee strain, right wrist strain, and TBI. The Veteran's PTSD rating was remanded for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for tinnitus to correct a duty to assist error, as the Veteran's lay statements regarding onset and continuity of symptoms were not adequately considered in the previous decision.
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