The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, when considered together, did not cause him to be unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to April 24, 2017.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including his back and leg pain, radiculopathy, and tinnitus, severely impacted his ability to perform sedentary work due to physical limitations and mental challenges.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Knee Instability, Right Knee Limitation of Extension, Left Knee Limitation of Flexion, Lumbar Spine Degenerative Disc Disease, Left Lower Extremity Radiculopathy (left thigh numbness and left foot burning and pain), Right Lower Extremity Radiculopathy (right foot burning and pain), Left Lower Extremity Radiculopathy Anterior Crural and Femoral Nerve, Tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- April 7, 2026
- Citation
- A26031872
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 A26031872.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities have been rated and denied for increased ratings, with some conditions receiving specific disability ratings. The Veteran is granted a 60% rating for her total right knee replacement from September 4, 2015 onwards, but the other claims are denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for PTSD and dismissed his appeals regarding increased ratings for tinnitus and a right hand disability due to lack of timely filing of Notice of Disagreement.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including GAD, MDD, bruxism, migraines/headaches, tinnitus, hip pain, iliotibial band syndrome, and leg stress fractures. The evidence does not support current diagnoses of these conditions during the appeal period.
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