The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including PTSD and multiple physical disabilities, meet the schedular criteria for a TDIU. However, due to his employment during part of the appellate period, further evidence is needed to determine if his employment constitutes 'substantially gainful employment' or 'marginal employment'.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's employment history needs to be evaluated to determine if it qualifies as substantially gainful employment or marginal employment.
- Claimed conditions
- PTSD, coronary artery disease, left total knee arthroscopy, degenerative arthritis of the spine with degenerative disc disease associated with left total knee arthroscopy, right knee degenerative joint disease with arthritis associated with left total knee arthroscopy, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, erectile dysfunction associated with PTSD
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 9, 2020
- Citation
- 20002025
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,614 · Granted: 35% (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 20002025.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
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