The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his service-connected conditions did not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.
The deciding factor: The evidence showed that the Veteran had multiple service-connected conditions but was still capable of performing sedentary work and maintaining employment in a job requiring little physical labor.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of a gunshot wound to the right leg, diabetes mellitus associated with degenerative joint disease, left knee, degenerative joint disease (DJD), right knee, DJD, left knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- April 13, 2021
- Citation
- 21021487
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 21021487.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied increased ratings for right hip strain and right knee DJD but granted a separate 10 percent rating for right hip strain with thigh impairment, limitation of adduction from January 27, 2016. The Board also granted TDIU on an extraschedular basis from November 29, 2010 to November 29, 2016.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeal for an increased rating in excess of 60 percent for status post, left total knee arthroplasty (previously rated as DJD, left knee) because the Veteran died during the pendency of this appeal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded multiple issues including service connection claims, rating determinations for hearing loss and tinnitus, and the reopening of previously denied claims. The appeals are pending and will be addressed in a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC).
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection of DJD, left knee is denied as there is no evidence of a left knee injury in service and the current condition is not related to any service-connected disability. The claims for evaluation in excess of 10 percent for DJD, right knee and TDIU are remanded.
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