The Veteran's service-connected disabilities from September 5, 2017, precluded him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lower spine and associated radiculopathy resulted in a significant impact on his ability to secure or follow any substantially gainful occupation.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease of the lower spine, Radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- March 12, 2025
- Citation
- 25003494
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,549 · Granted: 26% (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 25003494.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 40 percent for degenerative disc disease of the lower spine, prior to September 29, 2020, and entitlement to a TDIU prior to September 5, 2017, due to inadequate medical opinions.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, which has been granted.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for increased ratings and earlier effective date for service connection of his back disability was denied. The rating for the lower spine prior to September 29, 2020 is denied as there is no evidence of unfavorable ankylosis or incapacitating episodes meeting criteria for a higher rating.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including a mood disability and multiple orthopedic disorders, have rendered her unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation since October 16, 2013. The Board has granted a TDIU from that date.
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