The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to obtain and sustain substantially gainful employment, as he has reported working as an independent insurance agent.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's endorsement of work as an independent insurance agent contradicts his lay representations that he has been unemployable since 2007 due to chronic pain from service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea with Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Persistent Depressive Disorder associated with Degenerative Arthritis of the Cervical Spine, Degenerative Arthritis of the Cervical Spine, Left and Right Upper Extremity Radiculopathy, Left Shoulder Rotator Cuff with Degenerative Arthritis and Tendonitis, Right Shoulder Degenerative Arthritis, Left Knee Degenerative Arthritis, Lumbosacral Strain with Degenerative Arthritis of the Spine, Bilateral Tinnitus, Right Ear Hearing Loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- August 5, 2024
- Citation
- A24043449
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation A24043449.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for right ear hearing loss and a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims based on in-service noise exposure or other theories.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, lumbar disc disease, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, bilateral knee strains, residuals of a left ankle concussion, and bilateral pes cavus are found to be related to his obstructive sleep apnea. His claim for restoration of a 30 percent evaluation for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine is granted.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has restored the Veteran's disability ratings for right and left knee degenerative arthritis from 10 percent to 10 percent effective January 8, 2025.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted earlier effective dates for service connection of peripheral vestibular disorder with dizziness/vertigo, depressive disorder, left knee degenerative arthritis, and right knee degenerative arthritis all from July 4, 2023.
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