The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied as his failure to complete the VA Form 21-8940 made it impossible for the Board to determine if he is unemployable due to service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Veteran failed to provide necessary information regarding his employment status and educational history, which prevented the Board from determining whether he was unemployable as a result of his service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- recurrent pilonidal cyst with fistulas, scarring, and sphincter impairment, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), diabetes with bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, tinnitus, residuals from a shell fragment wound to the left mid-calf, bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 24, 2017
- Citation
- 1709283
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 1709283.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder and PTSD. The Veteran will be asked to provide additional medical records and undergo a VA examination.
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