The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render her unemployable, and she is able to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has mobility issues due to her respiratory disabilities and some difficulty working due to her anxiety and depressed mood because of her PTSD. However, the medical evidence indicates that she is capable of sedentary employment and can work in a more sedentary environment without requiring strenuous exertion.
- Claimed conditions
- post-traumatic stress disorder, asthma with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), left and right ankle strain, bilateral foot disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 80%
- Decision date
- August 13, 2019
- Citation
- 19162283
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,088 · Granted: 33% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 19162283.
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.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral foot disability is related to his active military service and grants service connection for this condition.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for irritable bowel syndrome, sleep apnea, post-traumatic stress disorder, and urinary frequency as there is no competent evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for a new examination to address the Veteran's lay statements regarding her symptoms during service.
- Granted
The Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral foot disability and back disability have been granted due to the submission of new evidence. The AOJ is required to readjudicate these claims.
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