The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment and required regular aid and attendance to perform activities of daily living, effective February 22, 2021.
The deciding factor: The evidence was in approximate balance regarding the impact of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities on his ability to work and perform activities of daily living, leading to a grant of TDIU and SMC based on aid and attendance from February 22, 2021.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis and IVDS, lumbar spine, status post fusion, with stenosis and spondylolisthesis, Left shoulder disability, Left lower extremity radiculopathy, sciatic nerve, Right lower extremity radiculopathy, sciatic nerve, Right lower extremity radiculopathy, femoral nerve, Left lower extremity radiculopathy, femoral nerve, Lumbar spine scar
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- October 20, 2025
- Citation
- A25090367
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 845 · Granted: 39% (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 A25090367.
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 Veteran's TDIU claim for bilateral knee disabilities and his right and left knee scars have been granted. He is now rated at a combined 60% disability rating from June 1, 2018 based on bilateral factors for his bilateral knee disabilities.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claims for service connection have been dismissed due to their death.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) with agoraphobia with panic attacks as directly related to military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including low back, left hip, right hip, left shoulder, and right shoulder disabilities. The VA examinations did not provide adequate opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.