The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to his service-connected disabilities, finding that he was not unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment during the appellate period.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not establish that the Veteran was precluded from securing or following any form of substantially gainful employment solely by reason of his service-connected disabilities during the entire appellate period.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral ankle sprains, bilateral pes cavus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 19, 2019
- Citation
- 19187203
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,893 · Granted: 31% (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 19187203.
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 granted service connection for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) and bilateral pes cavus, finding that the Veteran's conditions first manifested during active duty service and were not aggravated by such service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral pes cavus and bilateral plantar fasciitis, finding that the Veteran's conditions were aggravated by his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral knee strain, lumbosacral strain, and migraine and tension headaches are found to have had their onset during service. Service connection is granted for these conditions.,The Veteran's preexisting bilateral pes cavus was aggravated by active duty service. Service connection is granted for this condition.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for payment of non-VA care provided at Mercy Health Saint Ritas Medical Center LLC on May 14, 2021 is granted due to the timely filing and eligibility under 38 U.S.C. § 1728.
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.