The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation from February 15, 2001 through December 31, 2001.
The deciding factor: Objective clinical evidence does not support the Veteran's claim of unemployability due to his service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- paraspinal back muscle, degenerative joint disease left knee, degenerative joint disease right knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 4, 2014
- Citation
- 1405075
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 1405075.
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 Board has granted service connection for left knee strain and degenerative joint disease right knee, both related to service-connected conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for all the claimed conditions as there was no evidence to support a causal relationship between any of the claimed conditions and the Veteran's active military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability and associated radiculopathy alone rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, qualifying for TDIU. Additionally, the Veteran is entitled to SMC based on housebound status due to multiple separate disabilities rated at 60 percent or more.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeal for an evaluation in excess of 60 percent for degenerative joint disease left knee status post total left knee replacement due to a withdrawal by the appellant or his representative.
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