The veteran's nonservice-connected disabilities, including a psychiatric disorder, low back disorder, neck disorder, gastrointestinal disorder, and right shoulder disorder, do not meet the criteria for a permanent and total disability rating for pension purposes.
The deciding factor: The combined evaluation of the veteran's nonservice-connected disabilities is 60 percent, which does not meet the requirement of at least one disability rated at 40 percent or more to bring the combined rating to 70 percent or more.
- Claimed conditions
- Psychiatric disorder, Low back disorder, Neck disorder, Gastrointestinal disorder, Right shoulder disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- February 5, 2001
- Citation
- 0103478
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 0103478.
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 service connection for bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and a right shoulder disorder as there was no probative evidence of current disabilities as defined by VA.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a low back disorder to correct duty to assist errors, as the previous VA examinations and opinions are inadequate.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for REM sleep disorder but granted service connection for a right shoulder disorder that is secondary to a service-connected lower extremity disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for hearing loss, psychiatric disorder, neck disorder, and radiculopathy of both upper and lower extremities to correct duty-to-assist errors.
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