The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following any substantially gainful employment prior to June 14, 2022.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not show that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities interfere with his ability to function at work or suggest that his employment was other than substantially gainful employment.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine, Degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine with subsequent L4-L5 laminectomy, Left knee degenerative arthritis, Right knee degenerative arthritis, Maxillary and frontal sinusitis, Rhinitis, Vertigo, Headaches, RLE radiculopathy, Scars of the right lower anterior tibias (leg), Noncompensable evaluations for left ear hearing loss, chronic suppurative otitis media, hypertension, residual scars of the right upper extremity, scar of the thenar aspect of the right hand, scars of the left upper extremity elbow and midline, status post surgery, right great ingrown toenail from May 1, 2013, Noncompensable evaluations for scars of the back from January 31, 2020 and scar, inside left nare status post nasal surgery from September 27, 2021
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 1, 2025
- Citation
- 25008616
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 an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for headaches and increased ratings for left shoulder rotator cuff tear, right shoulder rotator cuff tear, hypertension, and left and right leg restless leg syndrome. The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder.
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