The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment, as he was employed at his own spice company during the appeal period.
The deciding factor: The Veteran was found to be gainfully employed by his own business throughout the appeal period, contradicting his claim of unemployability due to his service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Meniere's Disease, residuals of peptic ulcer disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 80%
- Decision date
- February 6, 2020
- Citation
- 20010143
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 20010143.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for the grant of SMC A&A based on Meniere's Disease has been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew their appeal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that there were pre-decisional duty to assist errors and remands the case for further development, including obtaining VA medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's Meniere's Disease.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the cases of hearing loss and Meniere's Disease for further development due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors.
- Denied
The Veteran's Meniere's Disease is granted as secondary to his service-connected MDD/GAD. However, the claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for MDD/GAD remains denied.
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.