The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, which combined had an 80 percent rating with one individually rated at 50 percent, have not rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has been working for decades and is qualified for entry-level to intermediate level jobs. However, his service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from performing such work.
- Claimed conditions
- sleep apnea, type II diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, tinnitus, nasal deformity of the septum with nasal obstruction, post-operative residual pilonidal cyst scar
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 80%
- Decision date
- November 22, 2021
- Citation
- A21018635
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 A21018635.
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 claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
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