The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and CAD did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, as he had maintained employment in an industry that allowed for limited contact with others. The Board found the evidence insufficient to support a TDIU.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s service-connected disabilities were compensated via his combined rating of 80%, which already acknowledged substantial disability. His employment-related problems were attributed to his service-connected conditions, but not severe enough to preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Coronary artery disease (CAD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 80%
- Decision date
- October 22, 2020
- Citation
- 20068529
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for PTSD, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor and finding that his PTSD is related to an in-service military sexual trauma (MST) during a period of ACDUTRA.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of May 17, 2019, for a 70 percent disability rating for PTSD but denied earlier effective dates for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.
- Partly granted
The Board granted readjudication of previously denied claims for service connection for PTSD and COPD, while remanding other issues including entitlement to service connection for an eye disorder, hypertension, tinnitus, a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, TDIU, and an initial rating for PTSD.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities prior to February 14, 2025, as the evidence did not show that he was precluded from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment during the appeal period.
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