The Veteran was granted an earlier effective date for Total Disability Rating due to Individual Unemployability (TDIU) from September 29, 2017. The evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's service-connected right knee and back disabilities prevented her from securing or following substantially gainful employment.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected right knee and back disabilities rendered her unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, with consideration given to her educational background, occupational history, and functional impact of her disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- right knee chondromalacia status post lateral release of the patellar retinaculum, status post meniscal repair with limitation of extension, right knee chondromalacia status post lateral release of the patellar retinaculum, status post meniscal repair with recurrent subluxation and instability, degenerative disc disease other than intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- April 15, 2026
- Citation
- A26034960
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 A26034960.
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 Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lower back condition, including thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis and degenerative disc disease other than IVDS. The decision finds that the Veteran's current disability is causally related to his military service due to an accident during training in 1963.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA examination, and the Veteran's low back condition may be related to service or his service-connected chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his low back disability is denied. The issue of a higher rating for right lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy is remanded.
- Dismissed
The appeal of the duty to assist error for the claim of entitlement to service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disorder is dismissed.
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