The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
The deciding factor: VA examiners determined that the Veteran’s service-connected conditions, while limiting his ability to work in certain environments, do not preclude him from securing and following any form of substantially gainful employment based on his education and experience.
- Claimed conditions
- coronary artery disease, hearing loss, right clavicle fracture with degenerative joint disease, cervical spine injury with degenerative joint disease, left hand metacarpal injury with degenerative joint disease and mild laxity, right foot Achilles tendon injury with degenerative joint disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- May 20, 2016
- Citation
- 1620685
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 1620685.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- 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.
- Granted
The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus. However, it was determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability of bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus for VA purposes, thus denying both claims.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for coronary artery disease is being remanded due to the inadequacy of a previous VA examination.
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