The Veteran's combined disability rating of 50 percent does not meet the schedular criteria for a TDIU. The Board finds that his service-connected disabilities alone are not severe enough to prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations and private medical statements indicate that the Veteran's service-connected conditions do not preclude him from engaging in sedentary work, which he is capable of performing given his educational background and previous occupations.
- Claimed conditions
- L5-S1 with bulging disc and osteopenia by CT, left lumbar radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 1, 2012
- Citation
- 1215668
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1215668.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to their death during the pendency of the appeal.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for right and left lumbar radiculopathy as the underlying primary low back disability is not an adjudicated service-connected condition.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, transient global amnesia, tinnitus, and PTSD have been denied. The Board has found that there is no competent evidence of these conditions during the pendency of the claim.,For the lumbar spine disability, the Veteran was granted service connection but a higher rating remains in dispute.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for chronic sinusitis, fibromyalgia, and CFS. The Veteran's hearing loss, lumbar spine disability, radiculopathy, shoulder disability, knee meniscal tear, knee limitation of extension, knee scars, GERD, allergic rhinitis, asthma, and PTSD were also not rated higher than their current levels.
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