The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, as he can tolerate sedentary or physical work environments that don't involve heavy lifting and prolonged sitting.
The deciding factor: VA examiners have opined that the Veteran's remaining service-connected disabilities do 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, rheumatoid arthritis (indicated by radiculopathy of the right lower extremity), restless leg syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- January 6, 2022
- Citation
- 22000826
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,456 · Granted: 23% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- 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.
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