The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent her from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to January 18, 2016.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran had substantially gainful employment until December 15, 2015 and there was no evidence of a permanent disability preventing her from finding or maintaining such employment prior to January 18, 2016.
- Claimed conditions
- Right and left knee disabilities, Right and left hip disabilities
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- July 22, 2020
- Citation
- 20049128
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 20049128.
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 Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment since October 1, 2009. The Board has granted an effective earlier date of October 1, 2009 for a TDIU.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted with an effective date of July 1, 2012. The Board found that the Veteran was unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to service-connected right and left knee disabilities as of February 3, 2014, but stopped working in late June 2012.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's appeal was denied as he did not meet the criteria for attorney fees based on past-due benefits awarded in a June 2024 rating decision. The appellant is not entitled to fees because the initial decision granting past-due benefits was not reviewed by an attorney or agent.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) as she did not meet the criteria for SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s).
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