The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to his service-connected disabilities, finding that he was not unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment solely because of these conditions.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not establish that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone were sufficient to render him unemployable.
- Claimed conditions
- achilles tendonitis, left foot disability (ranging from noncompensable to 20%), right lower extremity radiculopathy (ranging from 20% to 20%), left lower extremity radiculopathy (ranging from 20% to 20%), patellofemoral syndrome/knee strain, right knee (noncompensable to 20%), lumbar degenerative arthritis with intervertebral disc syndrome (ranging from 10% to 20%), hypertension (10%), dermatitis (ranging from noncompensable to 10%), patellofemoral syndrome/knee strain, left knee (noncompensable to 10%), tinnitus (10%), bilateral knees surgical scars (noncompensable)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 80%
- Decision date
- October 24, 2024
- Citation
- A24068703
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 793 · Granted: 28% (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 A24068703.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for right and left ankle disabilities as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected hallux valgus.
- Partly granted
The Board has denied service connection for several conditions, including ADHD, right ear hearing loss, G6PD deficiency, intestinal disability, eye disability, and others. However, the Board has granted service connection for cervical spine arthritis.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the service connection claims for achilles tendonitis and a bilateral leg disability for additional development, as the previous VA examination opinions were found to be inadequate.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection for a foot disorder and obstructive sleep apnea are not granted. The decision is remanded due to insufficient evidence in the April 2022 VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea.
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