The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and his ability to complete a college degree and open his own business during the appeal period weighs against finding unemployability.
The deciding factor: The Veteran successfully completed a college degree program and is now a full-time business owner, which indicates he can maintain employment despite his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Other specified trauma and stressor related disorder, Thoracolumbar spine disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 1, 2023
- Citation
- 23058860
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 23058860.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the initial ratings assigned for psoriatic arthritis of the upper and lower extremities, as well as service connection for a cervical spine disorder, need to be remanded due to incomplete evidence. The Veteran's periods of active duty for training (ADT) and inactive duty for training (IDT) must be confirmed, and all relevant medical records should be obtained.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the issue of entitlement to service connection for PTSD, and found that service connection is granted for major depressive disorder and other specified trauma and stressor related disorders.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including other specified trauma and stressor related disorder, is related to her military service. As a result, service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is granted.
- Granted
The Veteran's other specified trauma and stressor related disorder is granted an increased rating to 70 percent, but no higher. The decision does not address service connection theory or exposure basis.
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