The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment.
The deciding factor: The evidence shows that the Veteran has maintained employment until retirement in 2018, with continued employment reported after 2018. The VA examinations did not indicate that any of his service-connected conditions precluded him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
- Claimed conditions
- Obstructive sleep apnea, Left knee meniscal tear with chondromalacia patella, Right knee meniscal tear with chondromalacia patella, Lumbar spine degenerative disc disease of L4-5, Left ear hearing loss, Bilateral tinnitus, Hypertension, Right knee instability, Left knee instability, Degenerative arthritis of the first metatarsal joint of the left foot, Residuals of a right foot injury, Left knee limitation of extension, Right wrist synovial cyst, Left ankle sprain associated with left knee meniscal tear with chondromalacia, Right ankle sprain associated with right knee meniscal tear with chondromalacia patella, Allergic rhinitis, Pseudofolliculitis barbae, Headaches
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- February 6, 2024
- Citation
- 24006332
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 24006332.
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.
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The Board denied the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for hypertension and has remanded the issue of an increased rating for skin condition.
- Granted
The Board has restored the Veteran's 10% rating for hypertension effective December 1, 2025 and denied a rating in excess of 10%. The reduction from 10% to noncompensable was not proper.
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