The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment consistent with his educational and occupational history.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has a combined rating of 90% for his service-connected conditions, but the evidence does not show he is unemployable due to these conditions alone. The Veteran reported working part-time in various capacities during this appeal period and did not indicate being below the poverty threshold or working in a protected environment.
- Claimed conditions
- sleep apnea, tonic-clonic seizures or grand mal with polymicrogyria, left upper extremity radiculopathy, left shoulder bursitis with sprain of sterno clavicular joint strain and supraspinatus tendinopathy, cervical spine intervertebral disc syndrome with strain and degenerative disc disease, hyperpigmentation macular dermatitis, left knee instability, left knee strain limitation of flexion, segmental dysfunction lumbar region, left lower extremity radiculopathy, left knee meniscal tear symptomatic semilunar cartilage, left knee strain limitation of extension, scar status post meniscus repair surgery
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 90%
- Decision date
- December 19, 2024
- Citation
- A24085346
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 A24085346.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic disease manifesting within one year after service and concluding that the current disability is not related to his in-service deviated septum.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development regarding the Veteran's claim of service connection for sleep apnea. The Veteran will be provided with a VA examination to determine if his current sleep disorder is related to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the issue of service connection for sleep apnea due to insufficient medical opinions and need for further development.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the claims for sleep apnea and an increased disability rating for diabetes mellitus, type II.
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