The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to his education and occupational experience, which allow him to engage in substantially gainful employment.
The deciding factor: The veteran has four years of college and over 21 years of work experience, making it unlikely that he is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, bilateral hearing loss, duodenal ulcer, fracture of the right fifth metacarpal
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- May 13, 2005
- Citation
- 0513062
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 0513062.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development of records and will provide a supplemental statement of the case if necessary.
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