The Veteran was granted an initial rating of 60 percent for rheumatoid arthritis with mechanical arthritis, service connection for depression as secondary to the rheumatoid arthritis, and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to the service-connected rheumatoid arthritis.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's rheumatoid arthritis caused severely incapacitating exacerbations four or more times a year, and his depression was directly linked to his service-connected rheumatoid arthritis. The Veteran's condition rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation consistent with his education and work history from September 27, 2011.
- Claimed conditions
- rheumatoid arthritis with mechanical arthritis, depression
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- November 12, 2025
- Citation
- A25098385
Want to see how appeals like this one tend to go? Appeals like mine
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