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Denied

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment, thus denying his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected back and foot disabilities are rated at 60% combined, meeting the schedular criteria for TDIU. However, he is not prevented from working due to these conditions as they do not prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment in sedentary positions.

Claimed conditions
lumbar myositis with strain and degenerative changes, bilateral plantar fasciitis with left foot fifth metatarsal fracture and calcaneal spurs
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
70%
Decision date
January 21, 2026
Citation
A26005604

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 A26005604.

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