The Board denied the Veteran's claim for total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) as the evidence did not show that his service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran could still function in a sedentary or physical work environment that doesn't involve too much heavy lifting, repetitive bending, and prolonged sitting or standing due to his service-connected back-related disabilities and other conditions did not prevent him from maintaining employment.
- Claimed conditions
- COPD, Bilateral hearing loss, Lumbar degenerative joint disease, Left knee degenerative joint disease, Gastroesophageal reflux disease, Left wrist disability, Tinnitus, Right foot disability, Left foot disability, Radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, Restless leg syndrome, Hypertension (noncompensably disabling), Impotence (noncompensably disabling)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 6, 2022
- Citation
- 22000826
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 the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, as there was no evidence of a current disability in the right ear and insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between the left ear hearing loss and service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for COPD, finding that the evidence does not support a link between the Veteran's respiratory condition and his military service, including exposure to Agent Orange.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for a medical clarification regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected epilepsy has aggravated his bilateral hearing loss.
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