The veteran's service-connected disabilities, when evaluated in association with his educational attainment and occupational experience, are not sufficiently disabling to render him unable to obtain and retain all kinds of substantially gainful employment.
The deciding factor: The combined evaluation for the veteran’s service-connected disabilities is 30 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a TDIU as it falls below the threshold required by VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- Restrictive Impairment Secondary to Sarcoidosis, Fracture of the Right Fifth Finger, Left Varicocele, Left Inguinal Hernia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- July 30, 2002
- Citation
- 0208689
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0208689.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment as of May 1, 2018.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Veteran's ear infections are not service-connected, but a 10 percent rating is granted for the left inguinal hernia prior to August 14, 2019. From that date, no compensable rating is assigned.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's PTSD, bilateral wrist disorder, and other service-connected conditions have been granted initial disability ratings. The TDIU claim for the period prior to February 23, 2018, has also been granted.
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