If the VA adjudicates a rating for multiple conditions this rating is called a “combined” rating.
The VA uses what is known as a combined ratings table to determine your rating. This means that a person’s efficiency is determined first by the most disabling—or highest individually rated condition—and then by less disabling conditions ranked in order of severity.
For example, if you have two service-connected disabilities, neck injury and a right knee injury, rated at 50% each. Normally, 50% plus 50% would equal 100%, but this veteran’s total disability rating is listed as 80%.
In this case, the VA takes 100 (representing a whole efficient person) and subtracts the highest individually rated condition (knee at 50%). This means the Veteran is initially considered 50% disabled and 50% efficient.
100% whole efficient person – 50% = 50%
The veteran’s neck injury is also rated at 50%, but no longer at 50% of the whole efficient person. Instead, the neck injury rating is subtracted from the remaining efficiency of 50%. 50% remaining efficient person – 50% = 25% So only 25% (for the neck injury) is added to the first 50% (for the right knee). 50% (right knee) + 25% (neck injury) = 75% combined disability rating VA rounds the combined disability rating up to the nearest 10, so 75% becomes 80% total disability. Please see the calculator in our resources section.