The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, as his combined rating did not meet the schedular criteria and there was no evidence that he could not secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's knee disabilities alone were found insufficient to prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment, given his history of working in a machine operator position and earning wages similar to non-disabled individuals in such roles.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 7, 2021
- Citation
- 21062363
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
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.