The Board found that the Veteran was not unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation by reason of his service-connected disabilities prior to July 11, 2019.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not persuasively weigh against finding that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation prior to December 29, 2016. He was employed as a chief physician assistant until this date.
- Claimed conditions
- postoperative residuals of compression fracture of L-3 with lumbar disc (lumbar spine disability), scars slightly disfiguring under lower lip and mid chin (lip and chin scars), right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, residuals of dislocated right impingement (right shoulder disability), Grave's disease, loss of teeth upper jaw and lower jaw (loss of teeth), residual postoperative scar of the lower back (lower back scar), scar of left upper eyelid (eyelid scar)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 13, 2025
- Citation
- 25007933
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection and granted initial 40 percent ratings for left upper extremity CTS, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's award of total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is granted effective from April 15, 2017, solely based on his unspecified anxiety disorder. The claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy was denied.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) and special monthly compensation (SMC) housebound status, but dismissed the claims for initial ratings in excess of 40 percent for lumbosacral spine disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Partly granted
The Board granted initial disability ratings of 40 percent for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy, a 20 percent rating for lumbar spine disability, denied an increased rating for obstructive sleep apnea with asthma, granted TDIU from May 7, 2021, and SMC from September 10, 2021.
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