The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU, finding that entitlement did not arise prior to April 8, 2014. The decision states there is no lay or medical evidence showing the Veteran was unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities before this date.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's employment ended in February 2013 and he began graduate school, indicating he could still secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to April 8, 2014.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Arm, Back, Cervical Spine, Left Ankle, Left Foot, Right Foot, Bilateral Knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 31, 2020
- Citation
- 20070483
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 20070483.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claims for various knee and back disabilities, as well as radiculopathy in the right lower extremity (RLE) and left lower extremity (LLE), have been granted. Service connection is also granted for a right hip disability secondary to his back disability.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an extension of a temporary total evaluation based on convalescence for left ankle surgery beyond July 1, 2019, as there were no severe postoperative residuals after this date.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeal for service connection of a right shoulder disability. Service connection is granted for OSA, left ankle, lumbar spine, and right hip disabilities. The claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder and coronary artery disease are remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee, back, and left elbow disabilities due to inadequate examinations. The AOJ is directed to obtain medical opinions regarding the severity of the Veteran's disabilities during the relevant period on appeal.
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