The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his bilateral knee disorders and low back disorder, prevented him from obtaining and maintaining gainful employment consistent with his education and experience. The Board found that the combined effects of these conditions made it impossible for the Veteran to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's physical limitations due to service-connected disabilities, including bilateral knee disorders and low back disorder, prevented him from performing the required activities of a railroad engineer position.
- Claimed conditions
- Obstructive sleep apnea, Right knee total knee arthroplasty, Left knee total knee arthroplasty, Left shoulder osteoarthritis, Radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, Radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, Degenerative changes of the lumbar spine with intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), Left shoulder scars, Bilateral hearing loss, Left ear hearing loss, Pectus ulcer disease and hiatal hernia with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 90%
- Decision date
- March 25, 2026
- Citation
- A26026655
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 A26026655.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied extraschedular ratings for the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine and lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities, as well as a total disability rating based on individual unemployability prior to February 3, 2011.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a low back disorder was reopened, and his claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee instability were granted. His hearing loss claim was denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeals of the initial ratings for his service-connected chronic cough and bilateral hearing loss are remanded due to procedural errors in the evidentiary record.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral pes planus with hammer toes, hallux valgus and degenerative arthritis, sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and bilateral kidney cysts, rendered him unable to secure or follow gainful employment. The Board granted the TDIU based on these conditions.
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