The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment. The Board finds that the Veteran is currently employed as a maintenance engineer at St. Francis Medical Center, which does not render him unemployable due to his service-connected conditions.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has been employed full-time in a job consistent with his education and experience throughout the appeal period, despite some functional impairment caused by his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral upper extremity numbness, bilateral lower extremity numbness, nerve damage of the neck, tension headaches, peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity, unspecified depressive disorder, osteoarthritis with degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, chronic lumbar strain, peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, tinnitus, residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI), bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- October 16, 2018
- Citation
- 18142651
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 18142651.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded claims for insomnia and sleep apnea. Other conditions were denied.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for tinnitus to correct a duty to assist error, as the Veteran's lay statements regarding onset and continuity of symptoms were not adequately considered in the previous decision.
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