The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU rating, finding that his service-connected right foot disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s educational background and past work experience as a security specialist, rubber worker, and truck driver suggest he could still engage in substantial gainful employment despite his service-connected right foot disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Right foot hammertoes, Post-operative residuals of proximal phalanx, right fourth and fifth toes with loss of voluntary flexion and extension associated with right foot hammertoes and residuals of right foot metatarsalgia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- August 24, 2020
- Citation
- 20055877
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 20055877.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an initial 20 percent rating for left ankle strain and earlier effective dates of August 24, 1998 for service connection of hammertoes in the feet. Other claims were denied.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 70 percent evaluation for the Veteran's psychiatric disorder and remanded claims for service connection of back condition, as secondary to orthopedic conditions, and compensable evaluation for right foot hammertoes.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left upper extremities, ankle instability, bilateral pes planus/flat feet, left foot hammertoes, right foot hammertoes, left foot hallux valgus, right foot hallux valgus, right hip pain, and left hip pain as there was no evidence that these conditions were related to the Veteran's active-duty service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for right and left foot hammertoes, flat feet, and low back disability are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.
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