The veteran's statutory period of eligibility for vocational rehabilitation under Chapter 31 has expired, and the criteria for extension of that period for purposes of retroactive induction into a vocational rehabilitation training program for payment of a Juris Doctor degree are not met.
The deciding factor: VA determined that the veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from employment consistent with his ability, education, and experience, thus denying retroactive Chapter 31 benefits.
- Claimed conditions
- complete paralysis of the median nerve of his right (major) upper extremity, residuals of a gunshot wound of his right upper extremity with damage to muscle groups V and VI, lumbosacral injury of his L4-L5 disc, degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, residuals of a gunshot wound to his left knee with scar, burn scar of his right index finger
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- September 20, 2002
- Citation
- 0212632
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 0212632.
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 Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities prior to June 16, 2014, as the evidence did not show that he was precluded from securing or following substantially gainful employment.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for allergic rhinitis and remanded the other claims for further development.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are of such nature and severity as to preclude his participation in any regular substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational experience, warranting a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for chronic pain and degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, finding no evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service or any service-connected disabilities.
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