The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment from January 30, 2018, to April 2, 2020.
The deciding factor: The Veteran had a combined disability rating of at least 70 percent and one disability rated at least 40 percent throughout the appeal period. He continued working in the construction field despite his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Major Depressive Disorder, Left Knee Disability, Right Ankle Disability, Low Back Disability, Right Hip Disability, Right Lower Extremity Sciatic Radiculopathy, Right Wrist Arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- July 5, 2022
- Citation
- 22038272
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 22038272.
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 Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities are rated at 10% each, and the Board finds that higher ratings are not warranted based on the evidence of record.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are not related to his active service, and thus denied both claims for service connection.
- Granted
The Veteran's major depressive disorder is found to be caused by his service-connected low back and radiculopathy disabilities, which prevent him from doing enjoyable activities and daily living tasks.
- Denied
The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds no evidence of clear and unmistakable error in assigning an effective date of June 19, 2002.
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