The Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral spine disability and rheumatoid arthritis did not prevent him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment prior to February 10, 2010.
The deciding factor: The Veteran was self-employed as an independent security consultant from 1999 through 2010, despite his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative joint disease (DJD)/degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbosacral spine, Rheumatoid arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 18, 2019
- Citation
- 19155841
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 19155841.
What this means for you
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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 various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, type II, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, hypertension, asthma/lung disease, vision disability, bilateral plantar fasciitis, leukocytosis, kidney disease/kidney stones, enlarged prostate, sleep apnea, rheumatoid arthritis, lumbar spine disability, right ankle disability, and left ankle disability.
- Granted
The Veteran's combined disability rating for Parkinson's disease and its manifestations is 100 percent, and special monthly compensation at the rate set forth in 38 U.S.C. § 1114(r)(1) is granted.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a heart disorder and obstructive sleep apnea, but denied service connection for rheumatoid arthritis. The claim for gout was remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for a left shoulder disability, as secondary to a service-connected neck disability, due to an inadequate VA medical opinion.
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