The veteran's multiple disabilities do not meet the criteria for a permanent and total disability rating for pension purposes based on his service-connected conditions, as they are not of sufficient severity to render him permanently unemployable.
The deciding factor: The combined evaluation of the veteran's lifetime disabilities is 60 percent, which does not meet the percentage requirements for a presumption of permanent and total disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Mental health disorders (dysthymia, borderline personality disorder, PTSD, anxiety neurosis), Diabetes mellitus, Genitourinary disorders (residuals of neuroma of the scrotum, status post bilateral orchiopexy, cystoplasty), Hypertension, Hiatal hernia with reflux, Left shoulder disorder (postoperative residuals of a left shoulder rotator cuff tear and surgical repair), Low back disorder (lumbosacral strain with minimal degenerative disc disease at L5-S1), Fibromyalgia syndrome, Sinusitis, Viral hepatitis, Tinea pedis with fungal appearing toenails, Headaches (migraine-like), Atypical chest pain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- April 6, 2000
- Citation
- 0009264
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 0009264.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for hypertension and has remanded the issue of an increased rating for skin condition.
- Granted
The Board has restored the Veteran's 10% rating for hypertension effective December 1, 2025 and denied a rating in excess of 10%. The reduction from 10% to noncompensable was not proper.
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