The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment throughout the appeal period, thus his claim for TDIU is denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran was able to perform work as a security guard while being a student, as a loss prevention officer, and then as a full-time police officer throughout the appeal periods. These are substantially gainful positions of employment and therefore, the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment at any time during the appeal period.
- Claimed conditions
- PTSD, migraines, anxiety disorder, tinnitus, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), dorsal avulsion fracture of the right little finger
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- November 18, 2020
- Citation
- 20074027
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,242 · Granted: 27% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 20074027.
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 of Veterans' Appeals has granted service connection for PTSD and Mood Disorders, both presumed conditions under the PACT Act.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraines was reopened due to new evidence. Service connection is granted for painful scars, but the rating assigned remains at 10 percent. The claims for fibromyalgia and bilateral shoulder disability are denied.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
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