The Veteran's TDIU claim is denied because his service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment, as they are caused by nonservice-connected conditions such as COPD and emphysema.
The deciding factor: Nonservice-connected disabilities (COPD and emphysema) have resulted in the Veteran's inability to maintain substantially gainful employment.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Emphysema
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 9, 2019
- Citation
- 19127255
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for asbestosis, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), rhinitis, sinusitis, and asthma. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was also denied a compensable rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to an unclear employment history and a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for COPD as secondary to diabetes and denied increased ratings for peripheral neuropathy conditions, while dismissing claims related to upper extremity neuropathy.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of July 12, 2022, for a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder.
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