The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have consistently precluded him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation since February 2000, with the exception of a brief period in June 2010 to May 2012 when he was employed.
The deciding factor: Service-connected disabilities including cognitive disorders, spinal injuries, and neurological conditions have rendered the Veteran unable to engage in substantially gainful employment since February 2000.
- Claimed conditions
- thoracic and lumbar degenerative disc disease, cognitive disorder with major depressive disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder, right long thoracic nerve, ligamentous injury of the left medial MCP joint, cervical disc degeneration, residuals of a medial collateral ligamentous injury of the left knee with mild genu valgus deformity, chronic headaches, right ulnar nerve neuropathy (major), right lower extremity radiculopathy, left shoulder impingement syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- July 9, 2015
- Citation
- 1529493
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1529493.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals were dismissed due to the death of the appellant. The issues related to service connection for various conditions and disability ratings.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection for middle and index trigger finger/stenosing tenosynovitis of the right hand, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy. The earliest effective date is June 30, 2012, for the right hand condition and April 22, 2016, for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and DDD, as well as right and left lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to the now service-connected lumbar spine condition. The decision is based on a finding of relative equipoise in the evidence regarding whether these conditions are related to service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a disability rating greater than 10 percent.
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