The Board has determined that the appellant does not meet the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, as his combined disability rating and individual service-connected disabilities do not meet the requirements for schedular TDIU. The evidence is persuasive against the claim of being unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment due to service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The appellant's service-connected conditions did not prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment during the period on appeal, as evidenced by his current employment in life insurance sales and previous employment history.
- Claimed conditions
- major depressive disorder, tinnitus, gastritis, bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 15, 2023
- Citation
- 23009706
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 23009706.
What this means for you
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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 Veteran's claim for specially-adapted housing assistance and a special home adaptation grant was denied because he does not meet the criteria for either benefit based on his service-connected disabilities.
- 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.
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