The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU prior to August 1, 2016, finding that he was engaged in substantially gainful employment at a paper mill until then.
The deciding factor: The Veteran had substantial and gainful employment at a major company before stopping work due to his service-connected disabilities. His income exceeded the poverty threshold and he missed only about 12 weeks of work over a 20-year period.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with depression
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- October 8, 2019
- Citation
- 19177233
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,017 · Granted: 36% (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 19177233.
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 claims for a VA psychiatric examination to address the Veteran's service-connected PTSD with depression and its impact on his employability.
- Granted
The Board granted a 100 percent disability rating for PTSD with depression, effective February 1, 2023.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for PTSD with depression has been dismissed as the Veteran requested withdrawal of his appeal prior to the Board making a decision.
- Granted
The Veteran was unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities, including PTSD with depression, right and left knee replacements, degenerative joint disease of the right knee, degenerative arthritis of the spine, and syphilis. The Board granted a TDIU prior to June 28, 2010.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.