The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied because his service-connected psychiatric condition alone is sufficient to render him unemployable, and other disabilities do not preclude substantially gainful employment.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's right shoulder and thumb injuries, as well as erectile dysfunction, do not impact his ability to work due to their severity or nature.
- Claimed conditions
- panic disorder, depressive disorder, alcohol dependence, cocaine dependence
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 19, 2019
- Citation
- 19130475
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 remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to ensure a proper examination and etiology opinion are provided.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for panic disorder, OSA, and hypertension as secondary to a service-connected condition. The claim for diabetes mellitus was denied.
- Granted
The Board granted a disability rating of 50 percent for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, characterized as depressive disorder, effective May 1, 2017.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an initial disability rating greater than 30 percent for service-connected psychiatric disabilities prior to November 1, 2023, as the AOJ has not adjudicated the Veteran's September 2023 supplemental claim in the first instance.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.