The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining and retaining all forms of substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and work experience.
The deciding factor: VA regulations require a total rating based on individual unemployability when there is an impairment so severe that it is impossible to follow a substantially gainful occupation. The veteran's service-connected disabilities, while disabling, do not prevent him from engaging in substantially gainful employment of a sedentary nature.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, residual scar, left great toe, residuals of a left foot injury with traumatic arthritis, left great toe
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 18, 2007
- Citation
- 0714959
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 0714959.
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 service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
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