The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render her unable to maintain a substantially gainful occupation, as they are not shown to have been of such nature and severity as to prevent her from maintaining regular substantially gainful employment consistent with her education and occupational experience.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has multiple service-connected disabilities that limit her ability to engage in certain activities but do not preclude her from engaging in many types of employment, including clerical and customer service roles.
- Claimed conditions
- Total hysterectomy, Post-operative left shoulder impingement syndrome with a rotator cuff tear, Right shoulder impingement and arthritis, Urinary incontinence associated with total hysterectomy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 30, 2020
- Citation
- 20081591
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,699 · Granted: 17% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20081591.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted an increased initial rating of 50 percent for the Veteran's service-connected total hysterectomy and right oophorectomy, finding that her remaining ovary is non-functional and requires hormone replacement therapy.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including total hysterectomy, migraine headaches, arrhythmia, urinary incontinence, left hallux valgus, and dysthymia, are of sufficient severity to preclude her from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU rating based on the combined effect of these disabilities.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a total hysterectomy to include residuals, finding that the Veteran's pre-existing pelvic inflammatory disease clearly and unmistakably existed prior to service and was aggravated by her service. The presumption of soundness applies in this case.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a total hysterectomy, finding that it was not caused or aggravated by her service-connected bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy condition.
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