The veteran's application for nonservice connected pension benefits was granted as of June 18, 2002 due to his inability to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation due to multiple disabilities. The effective date cannot be earlier than this date.
The deciding factor: The veteran did not meet the schedular rating criteria for an earlier effective date as he was found to have disabilities that warranted ratings of at least 40% combined, which is consistent with his pension eligibility based on total disability due to nonservice-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Hypertension, Tricuspid Insufficiency with Systolic Murmur, Polyarthralgia, Right Knee Disorder, Right Ankle Disorder, Bilateral Wrist Pain, Low Back Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- August 25, 2008
- Citation
- 0828873
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 0828873.
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 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 has denied service connection for hypertension and has remanded the issue of an increased rating for skin condition.
- Granted
The Board has restored the Veteran's 10% rating for hypertension effective December 1, 2025 and denied a rating in excess of 10%. The reduction from 10% to noncompensable was not proper.
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