The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment consistent with his educational and work background prior to August 29, 2016.
The deciding factor: The Veteran was able to maintain substantially gainful employment as a nuclear medicine technician despite the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his ability to work full-time.
- Claimed conditions
- spondylosis with degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, rheumatoid arthritis (not explicitly stated but implied by TDIU claim), radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, fracture of the right little finger, tinea versicolor of the chest and thighs, rheumatoid arthritis (implied by TDIU claim)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 11, 2018
- Citation
- 1802700
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 1802700.
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 appeal regarding the proposed reduction of the Veteran's disability rating for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity was dismissed as it was not a final decision. The Board also remanded the claim for service connection for a left hip disability due to an inadequate VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection and increased ratings due to a need for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions and updated VA treatment records.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection and increased ratings due to a procedural error regarding notice of the right to a pre-decisional hearing.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including knee and foot conditions, a low back disability, radiculopathy, tinnitus, and a neck condition, to correct pre-decisional errors in fulfilling VA's duty to assist by rescheduling missed examinations.
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