The veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than August 30, 2002 for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities has been denied as the evidence does not establish that his service-connected conditions rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to this date.
The deciding factor: The veteran's TDIU was granted effective August 30, 2002 when new diagnostic codes for skin disorders were enacted. Prior to this date, the evidence did not show that his service-connected conditions rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
- Claimed conditions
- Subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus, Tinnitus, Hypertension, Irritable bowel syndrome, Status post fracture of the nose with a deviated septum, Hypertensive cardiovascular disease, Residuals of a fracture of the second right metacarpal, Left hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 2, 2008
- Citation
- 0821801
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 0821801.
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 service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for PTSD and dismissed his appeals regarding increased ratings for tinnitus and a right hand disability due to lack of timely filing of Notice of Disagreement.
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