The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not combine to preclude substantially gainful employment, as his combined rating of 80% does not meet the criteria for TDIU. The VA examiner found that the Veteran is capable of performing sedentary work despite his service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation, as he remains able to perform sedentary types of work.
- Claimed conditions
- Cold injury residuals of the right and left lower extremities, Cold injury residuals of the right and left upper extremities, Scars of the left forearm and left upper scapula
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 80%
- Decision date
- May 7, 2012
- Citation
- 1216314
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 1216314.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 100% effective December 3, 2012. The cold injury residuals of the right and left lower extremities were rated as 30%. The peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities was rated as 40% from April 11, 2016 onwards. For the period prior to December 3, 2012, the Veteran's PTSD warranted a TDIU.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and a retrospective opinion regarding lower extremity symptoms prior to January 20, 2003.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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