Veteran Receives $54K After Four Years of Pain

“Julian” is a 71-year-old veteran from Louisiana who served in the Army during peacetime. When veteran service officer (VSO) Paula Tuero-Flesch began working his case four years ago, he was service-connected at 70% and was seeking Total Disability Individual Unemployability (TDIU) compensation.

Under normal circumstances, going from 70% to 100% doesn’t take very long. But in Julian’s case, his knee ratings had been reduced from 40% to 10% each, lowering his combined rating and bringing him below the minimum threshold required for TDIU. 

Because Julian was experiencing persistent pain and had been hospitalized, Tuero-Flesch submitted a new claim for a secondary mental health condition last year. Depression and anxiety linked to his physical conditions had severely impacted his daily life. Julian’s knee ratings were increased last year alongside approval of the mental health claim, bringing him to 100% disability.

Julian also had a pending claim for intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS). In 2021, Tuero-Flesch wrote an informal hearing request for entitlement to service connection for IVDS. After a four-year wait, the board ruled in Julian’s favor in January 2025. He received a retroactive payment of $54,053 in January 2025 for his IVDS. 

Contact a VVA Veteran Service Officer to assist with your claim in states that have a benefits program here, or search for a VSO from another organization through the VA’s website in states where we do not. Enter your ZIP code or city and state, and you’ll see which VSOs serve your area.