The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, as evidenced by his employment history and the lack of cooperation in obtaining information for his TDIU claim.
The deciding factor: The Veteran failed to cooperate with VA’s efforts in obtaining information and evidence needed to substantiate his TDIU claim, making it impossible to determine if he is unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Lumbosacral strain, Right knee instability, Left knee strain, Right knee strain, Tinnitus, Tension headaches related to TBI
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- December 29, 2020
- Citation
- 20081266
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 Veteran's claims for additional VA examinations to properly evaluate the current severity of her disabilities.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a separate 10 percent rating for right knee instability but denied an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative arthritis of the right knee.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of May 17, 2019, for a 70 percent disability rating for PTSD but denied earlier effective dates for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.
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