The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining or maintaining a substantially gainful occupation.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected cervical spine, upper extremity radiculopathy, and PTSD disabilities impact his ability to work, but the preponderance of evidence does not show that these conditions alone are severe enough to render him unemployable.
- Claimed conditions
- Prostate cancer, Cervical spine disability, Radiculopathy of the right upper extremity, Radiculopathy of the left upper extremity, Right wrist disability, Left ankle disability, Right ankle disability, Low back disability, Residuals of a nose fracture, Tinnitus, Residuals of a right zygoma disability, Heart disability, Erectile dysfunction
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- November 2, 2021
- Citation
- A21017687
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 A21017687.
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: Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and an increased rating for his acquired psychiatric disorder. The Board found that there was no evidence linking the current disabilities to military service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's service-connected low back disability alone does not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for PTSD and dismissed his appeals regarding increased ratings for tinnitus and a right hand disability due to lack of timely filing of Notice of Disagreement.
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