The veteran's service-connected disabilities, while significant, do not render him unemployable. His combined disability rating is 60%, and the evidence does not support that his service-connected conditions alone prevent him from obtaining or maintaining employment.
The deciding factor: While the veteran has several service-connected disabilities, including emphysema, shoulder impingement syndromes, and a left wrist condition, the evidence indicates that these conditions do not significantly limit his ability to perform sedentary work. Additionally, there is no clear indication that his unemployability is solely due to his service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Emphysema, Left shoulder impingement syndrome, Right shoulder impingement syndrome, Residuals of a left wrist fracture with degenerative changes
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 29, 2008
- Citation
- 0814098
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,036 · Granted: 27% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 0814098.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran was granted a TDIU with a September 19, 2024 effective date based on his PTSD, emphysema, and COPD symptoms. His diabetes, tinnitus, and left ear hearing loss were not found to prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to March 19, 2024.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's COPD is etiologically related to service exposure to herbicide agents, and thus grants service connection for COPD.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his right shoulder disability is being remanded due to a duty to assist error. The Board will provide the Veteran with another VA examination to assess the severity and manifestations of his service-connected right shoulder impingement syndrome, bicipital tendonitis, rotator cuff tear, tendonitis, and degenerative arthritis.
- Denied
The Veteran's cause of death was listed as emphysema, but the Board found no causal connection to service or a service-connected disability. The Veteran did not meet the criteria for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318.
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