The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his education and work history did not support a conclusion that he was unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
The deciding factor: The evidence showed that the Veteran had a combination of service-connected disabilities totaling 60% disabling but also noted his prior occupations in fields not requiring significant physical labor, which supported his ability to perform sedentary work.
- Claimed conditions
- depression, paraspinous muscle strain of the lower back, left knee associated with chronic paraspinous muscle strain of the lower back, right knee associated with chronic paraspinous muscle strain of the lower back, rheumatoid arthritis (not explicitly stated but implied by radiculopathy)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- August 6, 2018
- Citation
- 18124349
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 18124349.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining in-service psychiatric treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorder.
- Denied
The Veteran's depression was rated at 50 percent prior to July 1, 2016. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating due to occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. For TDIU, the Veteran had multiple service-connected disabilities but his education and work experience were sufficient for sedentary or light labor employment.
- Granted
The Veteran's depression was rated at 50 percent prior to September 27, 2017. From September 27, 2017, the rating for depression increased to 70 percent.
- 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.
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