The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, and his TDIU claim is denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has a combined disability evaluation of 50 percent as of August 19, 2020, which does not meet the percentage requirements for a TDIU. The Veteran's employment status is unclear, but he was gainfully employed at the time of his claim and continues to be so.
- Claimed conditions
- left rotator cuff syndrome with degenerative joint disease, lumbar strain, left knee strain, right knee strain, bilateral plantar fasciitis, chest musculoskeletal strain, left varicose and myofascial pain syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- November 19, 2020
- Citation
- 20074367
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 961 · Granted: 20% (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 20074367.
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.
- Dismissed
The appeals regarding the evaluation of bilateral plantar fasciitis and residuals of fractures of the second, fourth, and fifth left toes, as well as the evaluation of bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy with loss of use, are dismissed as untimely.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's bilateral plantar fasciitis and his service. The Veteran is seeking service connection for this condition.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection of various conditions due to untimely filing of the appeal.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis, finding that the Veteran's pre-existing pes planus condition was aggravated by service. The effective date is August 15, 2025.
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