The veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unemployable prior to August 23, 1996. His TDIU was granted effective from that date.
The deciding factor: The veteran's combined disability rating of 70% at the time of his claim and subsequent grant of a TDIU effectively rendered him unemployable as per VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- Anxiety Reaction, Dysthymia, Major Depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Osteoarthritis of the Lumbar Spine Region, Slight Anterior Wedging of the 7th Thoracic Vertebra, Unhealed Chip Fracture of the Left Lateral Malleolus of the Fibula with a Post-Operative Scar and Limitation of Motion of the Ankle
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- December 22, 2000
- Citation
- 0033448
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 0033448.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted an initial evaluation of 70 percent for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, anxiety disorder, and major depression.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, dysthymia, and unspecified depressive disorder, as the evidence did not support a current diagnosis of PTSD or a link between any claimed in-service stressors and the Veteran's current psychiatric conditions.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor based on a corroborated in-service stressor event.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of December 20, 2007 for the grant of service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder and increased ratings to 70% from March 27, 2020 to June 5, 2020, and 100% from June 5, 2020. The claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability was denied.
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