The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s service-connected disabilities, without considering non-service-connected disabilities, do not render him unable to engage in all forms of substantially gainful employment, consistent with his work experience and education level.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, squamous cell carcinoma, diabetic peripheral neuropathy (right and left lower extremities), bilateral tinnitus, hypothyroidism, bilateral hearing loss, hypogeusia, residual of scar from feeding tube
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 80%
- Decision date
- April 19, 2019
- Citation
- 19130816
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.
- 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).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a deviated septum and denied compensable ratings for allergic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, hypothyroidism, and hypertension.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for hypertension and diabetes mellitus to obtain further medical opinions regarding their potential relationship to toxic exposures during active service.
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