The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
The deciding factor: The severity, frequency and duration of the Veteran’s symptoms do not support a finding that he is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Obstructive sleep apnea, Gastric ulcers with hiatal hernia, Lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, Left hand carpal tunnel syndrome, Bilateral tinnitus, Bilateral radiculopathy of the lower extremities, Degenerative changes of the left shoulder, Degenerative changes of the first metacarpophalangeal joint of the right hand, Degenerative changes of the distal interphalangeal joint of the fourth finger of the left hand, Bilateral hearing loss, Atypical tension headaches, Scar from right hand carpal tunnel release surgery
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- March 12, 2019
- Citation
- 19117572
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 631 · Granted: 21% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19117572.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a low back disorder was reopened, and his claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee instability were granted. His hearing loss claim was denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeals of the initial ratings for his service-connected chronic cough and bilateral hearing loss are remanded due to procedural errors in the evidentiary record.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral pes planus with hammer toes, hallux valgus and degenerative arthritis, sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and bilateral kidney cysts, rendered him unable to secure or follow gainful employment. The Board granted the TDIU based on these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to a duty to assist error, specifically regarding whether the Veteran's current conditions are aggravated by his service-connected DDD of the lumbosacral spine. The AOJ is required to obtain new medical opinions addressing this issue.
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