The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected burn scars and anxiety disorder NOS did not render him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment prior to September 2019, but remanded for further development regarding his TDIU claim from September 2019 onwards.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not support the Veteran's assertion of constant pain and functional loss due to his service-connected conditions that prevented him from working before retirement.
- Claimed conditions
- Burn scars, Anxiety disorder NOS
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 28, 2022
- Citation
- 22066158
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 22066158.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
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 anxiety disorder and depression do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, as his physical impairments also contribute to his unemployability. The Board denied the TDIU claim due to lack of evidence showing exceptional factors from his service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Veteran's anxiety disorder is rated at 50 percent, costochondritis with thoracolumbar lumbar strain at 40 percent, cervical spine degenerative disc disease at 30 percent, left upper extremity radiculopathy at 20 percent, and migraines at 10 percent. All other claims are denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's topical medications stained and damaged his clothing, warranting a clothing allowance for calendar year 2015.,His left knee brace caused wear and tear on his clothing, qualifying him for a clothing allowance for calendar year 2015.,Elbow crutches used by the Veteran due to his left knee disability also caused damage to his clothing, entitling him to a clothing allowance for calendar year 2015.,The right knee brace and back brace were not service-connected disabilities at the time of the decision, thus denying entitlement to a clothing allowance for these items in 2015.,Left ankle brace did not cause damage to his clothing as determined by VA, therefore denial of a clothing allowance for this item in 2015.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim to reinstate a 10 percent rating for burn scars under 38 C.F.R. § 3.324, as the discontinuation of this rating was proper due to the assignment of a compensable rating for tinnitus.
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