The Board found that the Veteran was not unemployable prior to February 24, 2003 due to his service-connected disabilities. The effective date for a TDIU is therefore denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not establish that the Veteran's service-connected conditions alone or in combination with non-service connected conditions prevented him from securing and following substantially gainful employment prior to February 24, 2003.
- Claimed conditions
- Arthritis of multiple joints (including cervical spine), Degenerative disc disease, Chronic pain syndrome, Carpal tunnel syndrome, Major depression, Narcolepsy, Hypertensive vascular disease, Hypercholesterolemia, Gastritis, Severe lumbalgia (lumbar spine), Multiple osteoarthritis, Arthralgia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 12, 2013
- Citation
- 1325461
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 1325461.
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
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- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for degenerative disc disease prior to August 1, 2025 was denied as the evidence did not show unfavorable ankylosis of the thoracolumbar spine.,The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy prior to March 10, 2025 were denied as there is no neurological impairment associated with these conditions.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to December 2, 2016.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran seeks higher initial ratings for his back disability, but the VA examinations from the period under review are inadequate. The Board finds that remand is necessary to obtain an opinion as to the severity and manifestations of the Veteran's back disability during the period under review.
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