The Board found that the Veteran was not precluded from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities prior to February 10, 2020.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's physical and psychiatric conditions did not render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the spine, Scars of the left anterior and right posterior chest (painful), Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Left knee strain and degenerative meniscal changes, Sciatica of the right lower extremity, Sciatic of the left lower extremity, Tinnitus, Scars of the left anterior chest and right posterior chest (linear), Bilateral pneumothorax, Erectile dysfunction
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 16, 2021
- Citation
- A21020104
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 A21020104.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including GAD, MDD, bruxism, migraines/headaches, tinnitus, hip pain, iliotibial band syndrome, and leg stress fractures. The evidence does not support current diagnoses of these conditions during the appeal period.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the (o) rate and SMC at the (r)(2) rate, effective January 19, 2025. The decision finds that the Veteran's service-connected conditions warrant these awards due to his need for aid and attendance.
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