The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities prior to May 2, 2019 was denied as the evidence did not show that he could not secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected conditions.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's physical limitations were noted but did not preclude him from performing all types of substantially gainful employment. His past work history and current medical records do not support a finding of unemployability prior to May 2019.
- Claimed conditions
- osteoarthritis of thoracolumbar spine, degenerative spondylosis of thoracolumbar spine with osteoarthritis of bilateral sacroiliac joints, lumbosacral strain, right foot out-toeing associated with arthritis of right knee, arthritis of right knee with healed fracture fragment and meniscal and ACL tears, right knee instability, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 15, 2024
- Citation
- 24033111
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,911 · Granted: 10% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 24033111.
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.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran experienced tinnitus during his active duty service.
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