The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to March 17, 2016 due to his service-connected bilateral inguinal hernias and chronic prostatitis not precluding him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment based on his past work history and the medical findings of trained physicians.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral inguinal hernias, chronic prostatitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 5, 2020
- Citation
- 20038717
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 20038717.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's chronic prostatitis was caused by his in-service renal contusion, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran was granted a 40% rating for chronic prostatitis effective March 18, 2019. He previously had a non-compensable rating from December 11, 1969, and increased to 20% in June 2004.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
Service connection for prostate cancer on an accrued basis was granted based on the benefit-of-the-doubt doctrine, finding competent and credible evidence at least approximately balanced between service-connected prostatitis and prostate cancer. Service connection was denied for stomach cancer, colon cancer, skin cancer, the Veteran's cause of death, and dependency indemnity compensation benefits.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding that the evidence did not support a compensable rating or service connection for any of the conditions appealed.
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.