Question:
I was recently forced to retire from the VA hospital I worked for due to progressive pain and complications related to my lower spinal fusion surgery 15 years ago. My surgeon who has monitored my condition every
2 months for 15 years wrote a letter stating I could no longer work because of it. My surgeon is the spine surgeon at MUSC Charleston SC as well as the head back surgeon at the VA, working with young doctors doing their residency at the VA. I had to apply two years early for Social Security Benefits early. I am 10% lower back, and 10% knee both service connected. Since I can no longer work, I want to apply for 100% disability due to my unemployability. What is my best course of action? Thank you for your assistance.
Jim's Reply:
The first thing you'd have to do is to get the rating for your back raised. At 10%, you aren't eligible for TDIU so you need to proceed to seek a higher rating (at least 60%) and apply for TDIU at that point.