The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and the criteria for a TDIU have not been met.
The deciding factor: VA examiners found that most of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities result in 'no functional impairment' to the Veteran, with only minimal functional impairment noted for some conditions. The Veteran's statements regarding his employment were outweighed by these findings.
- Claimed conditions
- type II diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, arthritis of the left hip, arthritis of the right hip, residuals of a fracture to the left clavicle, arthritis of the left hand, arthritis of the right hand, arthritis of the right shoulder, osteoarthritis of the thoracic spine, osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine, osteoarthritis of the cervical spine, arthritis of the left knee, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 17, 2012
- Citation
- 1232021
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 1232021.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
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