The Veteran's VR&E benefits were denied as she did not have an employment handicap and was found to be employable with her current skills, experience, and education. The appeal must be denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran had overcome the effects of her service-connected disabilities on employability and possessed transferrable skills and a Bachelor's degree in Biology and Animal Science that made her competitive for suitable employment.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with adjustment disorder, mixed anxiety, and depressed mood, Degenerative arthritis of the spine and spinal stenosis and disc herniation, Right knee meniscal tear, Left knee strain, Lateral collateral ligament sprain of the left ankle, Lateral collateral ligament sprain of the right ankle, Right foot hallux valgus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 27, 2026
- Citation
- A26039178
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 A26039178.
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 service connection for cervical spine strain, right wrist sprain, right knee strain, left knee strain, and right ankle strain. The disabilities are all deemed to have begun during the Veteran's active duty.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for bilateral knee strains with shin splints due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. A new VA examination is required to assess the severity of the Veteran's knee disabilities, including during flare-ups.
- Granted
The Board has granted an earlier effective date of March 21, 2011 for the service connection of right knee meniscal tear, with a rating of 20 percent.
- Granted
The Veteran's right knee disability, including a meniscal tear and patellofemoral pain syndrome, was incurred during his active service. The Board found that the evidence supported this conclusion.
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