The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment, and therefore TDIU is denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected knee conditions are rated at a combined disability rating of 50%, which does not meet the required percentage standards for TDIU. The Social Security Administration (SSA) determined that the Veteran was not disabled due to his service-connected disabilities, and VA examiners also found no evidence of functional limitations preventing him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.
- Claimed conditions
- right knee, degenerative arthritis, right knee, post-operative residuals of patella tendon rupture, left knee, residuals of patella tendon rupture, left knee, instability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- January 27, 2021
- Citation
- 21004618
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 21004618.
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 has remanded the case due to a duty-to-assist error regarding the left knee disability. The Veteran's left knee disability was pre-existing and the examiner must determine if it was aggravated during service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a higher rating for the Veteran's right knee disability to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error, specifically an inadequate VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues of entitlement to increased ratings for left knee disabilities due to the need for a medical opinion that addresses the severity of the disability without considering the use of ameliorative effects of medication.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues of entitlement to increased staged ratings for left knee, limitation of extension, limitation of flexion, and instability due to an inadequate medical opinion.
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