The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his back pain and numbness, as well as his depression and anxiety, limit his ability to engage in substantial gainful employment.
- Claimed conditions
- depressive disorder with anxious distress associated with degenerative arthritis, lumbar spine, degenerative arthritis, lumbar spine, radiculopathy, lower right extremity (femoral nerve) associated with degenerative arthritis, lumbar spine, radiculopathy, lower left extremity (femoral nerve) associated with degenerative arthritis, lumbar spine, radiculopathy, lower right extremity (sciatic nerve) associated with degenerative arthritis, lumbar spine, radiculopathy, lower left extremity (sciatic nerve) associated with degenerative arthritis, lumbar spine, residual scar associated with degenerative arthritis, lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 80%
- Decision date
- January 21, 2026
- Citation
- A26005252
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 A26005252.
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 has granted an earlier effective date of December 6, 2001 for service connection for degenerative arthritis, lumbar spine based on newly associated service personnel records.
- Dismissed
The issues of service connection for degenerative arthritis, lumbar spine; right leg radiculopathy; and degenerative arthritis, cervical spine are dismissed as the Board granted service connection in a separate appeal stream.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative arthritis and L4-L5 disc protrusion as secondary to a service-connected knee condition is granted.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the veteran's degenerative arthritis, lumbar spine, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus.
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