The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including patellofemoral arthralgia of the left knee, gastritis and GERD, bronchitis, right knee patellofemoral syndrome, left ankle arthralgia, and left hip strain, do not render her unemployable due to her disabilities. The Board finds that she is capable of performing more sedentary employment.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not prevent her from engaging in gainful employment as they are not severe enough to preclude all forms of substantially gainful employment, given her education and work experience.
- Claimed conditions
- patellofemoral arthralgia of the left knee, gastritis and GERD, bronchitis, right knee patellofemoral syndrome, left ankle arthralgia, left hip strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 80%
- Decision date
- September 2, 2014
- Citation
- 1438977
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 1438977.
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 service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment, leading to a TDIU rating.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claims for lumbosacral strain, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, and left hip strain as secondary to lumbosacral strain have been granted. The claim for left hip strain is remanded due to insufficient evidence on whether it was caused or aggravated by the service-connected lumbosacral strain.
- Granted
The Veteran's hypertension, left knee patellofemoral syndrome, and right knee patellofemoral syndrome have been granted service connection as secondary to his service-connected disabilities. The lumbar spine disability has also been granted but the effective date is not specified.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee patellofemoral syndrome and degenerative arthritis are at least as likely as not related to his service-connected left knee bursitis, granting service connection for these conditions on a secondary basis.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.