The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment, and thus denied his claim for TDIU.
The deciding factor: The evidence shows that the Veteran’s unemployability is due to non-service-related conditions such as a back disability and obesity, rather than his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee degenerative joint disease status post total knee replacement, residuals of a left ankle injury, residuals of a right ankle injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 12, 2020
- Citation
- 20072971
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 residuals of a right ankle injury, to include arthritis, resolving all doubt in the Veteran's favor.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 100 percent rating for depressive disorder with major depressive like episodes and anxious distress, effective from October 21, 2022.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for right and left wrist disabilities, right and left lower extremity radiculopathy, and bilateral hearing loss. However, the claim for headaches was granted, and some claims were remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including GERD, neck injury, right knee injury, left knee injury, shrapnel wound to the lower left leg, right ankle injury, left ankle injury, RLE neuropathy, and lower back injury.
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