The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment, and the Board finds that he is not unemployable solely due to his service-connected conditions.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not show that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone are sufficient to produce unemployability. The Veteran has severe mental illness and substance abuse challenges which are the primary causes of his inability to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment.
- Claimed conditions
- left ankle tarsal coalition, left hip strain, tinnitus, left knee tendonitis, right abdomen scar, right foot disability, left thigh scar and left foot disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 29, 2021
- Citation
- 21066278
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 21066278.
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 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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran experienced tinnitus during his active duty service.
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