Citation Nr: 21021397 Decision Date: 04/12/21 Archive Date: 04/12/21 DOCKET NO. 18-25 745 DATE: April 12, 2021 REMANDED Entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU), due to service-connected disabilities, is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran served on active duty from January 1975 to May 1977. This matter is before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal of a January 2016 rating decision of the Cleveland, Ohio, Regional Office (RO) of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The Veteran appeared at a hearing before the undersigned Veterans Law Judge in August 2020. At the Veteran’s August 2020 Board hearing, he stated that he was unable to secure or follow substantially gainful occupation as a result of his service-connected disabilities. He noted that he practiced massage therapy for several years before moving to Ohio where he was a truck driver. He noted that the back wound made it so that if it started to twinge, he had to lay down until it stopped seizing. He stated that he was limited to a couple of hours to do anything. He stated that sitting and walking exacerbated his disabilities, as well as standing up. He stated that if he could sit well, he would be driving a truck, and if he could stand, he would be doing massage therapy. However, he could not do either without experiencing pain or his back seizing. Regarding his service-connected pes planus and knee disabilities, he noted that he could not do anything for any length of time without having to lay down. The Veteran noted that he had just seen a VA massage therapist due to his service-connected disabilities. He also noted that he had received a letter of reference from a private facility. The Board notes that the severity of the Veteran’s service-connected disabilities was individually evaluated in March 2015 and in May 2018. The VA examination reports show that the Veteran was capable of securing and following substantially gainful employment. However, to date, there has been no opinion rendered addressing the extent to which the service-connected disabilities, taken as a whole, affect his ability to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. This must be corrected on remand. The matters are REMANDED for the following action: 1. Ask the Veteran to provide the names, addresses, and approximate dates of treatment of all health care providers who have treated him for his service-connected conditions. After securing any necessary releases, request any records identified which are not duplicates of those contained in the claims file. If any requested records are unavailable, annotate the file and notify the Veteran. 2. Obtain complete VA treatment records not already associated with the claims file since March 2020. 3. After the above development has been completed, provide the Veteran with a VA examination to address the effects of his service-connected disabilities (listed in a March 2020 rating decision) on his ability to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation. The examiner is requested to interview the Veteran and specify all subjective complaints. These include the Veteran’s testimony at his August 2020 Board hearing, and objective symptoms associated with his service-connected disabilities. All social and occupational impairment caused by these disabilities must be described in full. The examiner is requested to address the effects of the Veteran’s service-connected disabilities, taken as a whole, on his ability to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation. Any specific limitations should be identified. At the same time, if any occupations are deemed feasible, this should be noted as well. All findings must be supported by a rationale. The Board recognizes the practical difficulties of scheduling an examination in view of the COVID-19 epidemic. Please allow flexibility and understanding in affording the Veteran an opportunity to report for an examination. A. C. MACKENZIE Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals Attorney for the Board A-L Evans, Counsel The Board’s decision in this case is binding only with respect to the instant matter decided. This decision is not precedential and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.