The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment prior to March 18, 2013. The Board denied the claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to March 18, 2013.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment due to limitations caused by nonservice-connected disorders such as obesity, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, and arthritis.
- Claimed conditions
- plantar fasciitis, obesity, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- November 9, 2020
- Citation
- 20072300
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the appeal to obtain a VA medical opinion that considers the Veteran's contentions of in-service training with heavy gear and equipment.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical opinion on whether plantar fasciitis was aggravated by active duty training.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for obesity, obstructive sleep apnea, and hypertension.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a restoration of the separate 10 percent rating for vertigo, an earlier effective date for service connection for vertigo and migraines, and a 30 percent rating for hypothyroidism with heart murmur. The decision also denied an earlier effective date for hypertension and remanded claims for obesity, obstructive sleep apnea, and individual unemployability.
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