The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to obtain and/or secure substantially gainful employment, as his education and work history suggest he can perform sedentary or light work.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has completed an associate’s degree and had prior jobs requiring different skill sets, indicating that he retains the ability to learn and apply new skills for various types of employment.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral mild degenerative arthritis of the first metatarsophalangeal joint, left shoulder surgery based on limitation of motion, postoperative residuals scar of the left humerus, status post left shoulder surgery, symptomatic flat feet
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- August 6, 2019
- Citation
- 19160708
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,329 · Granted: 31% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19160708.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation at the housebound rate (SMC) from August 3, 2018 due to his service-connected disabilities.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board granted a TDIU on an extra-schedular basis as of February 1, 2010.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to obtain and secure substantial gainful employment.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination. The issues are related to increased ratings for his service-connected disabilities.
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