Knee decisions — 2014

The Veteran's low back disability, right and left lower extremity radiculopathy, right and left upper extremity radiculopathy, and right and left knee disabilities have been granted increased ratings of 20 percent each.

The Board has remanded the case for scheduling a live videoconference hearing at the RO in Providence, Rhode Island. The Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral knee disability and psychiatric disability are pending.

The Veteran's right great toe ingrown toenail is not related to service, and his left great toe ingrown toenails are not currently diagnosed. The Veteran's current left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome is not related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional examination of his service-connected right knee disability.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a bilateral knee disorder and finds that new evidence supports reopening of this claim. The Veteran's current bilateral knee disorders are not related to her service-connected back disability, but were likely caused by her active duty service.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a gastrointestinal disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, neck disability, bilateral hand pain, bilateral shoulder disability, and bilateral hip disability is granted as these conditions are presumed to have been incurred due to an undiagnosed illness during his Gulf War service.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his right knee disability is granted, and he is now rated at 30 percent. The issue of service connection for the left knee disability remains pending.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a back disability, bilateral leg disability, bilateral knee disability, and bilateral foot disorder. The evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and her active duty service.

The Veteran is shown to require the regular assistance of another person due to physical incapacity when caring for the daily personal needs of dressing or undressing himself, toileting, bathing, and keeping himself clean and presentable as a result of his service-connected right knee, ankle, and foot disabilities, and lumbar spine degenerative arthritis.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found no evidence linking the Veteran's current conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's combined service-connected disabilities are found to be likely preventing him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment, as his multiple conditions render him unemployable.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent since May 2, 2007 for her left knee disability is being remanded due to the need for additional development including a VA examination.

The Board has decided in favor of the Veteran, granting service connection for a right knee disability as secondary to his already service-connected left knee disability.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to comply with the terms of the Joint Motion for Remand (JMR). The issues on appeal include increased ratings for service-connected right knee disabilities and entitlement to TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disorder has been granted in a December 2013 rating decision, and the issue is now moot.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral knee disability, including osteoarthritis, was not incurred in service and is not secondary to a service-connected disability. The opinion from the VA examiner concluded it is less likely as not related to active service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities are as likely as not of such nature and severity as to prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment, thus granting a TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and verifying his occupational and educational history. A VA examination will be conducted to assess the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his ability to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for lumbar strain and compression fracture, prostate hypertrophy, urinary incontinence (secondary to prostate condition), bilateral knee condition, angina pectoris, hypertension, and seizures were all denied as not supported by evidence of a nexus to service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for her service-connected left and right knee subluxing patella were denied. Her claim for a compensable disability rating for her service-connected surgical scar of the left knee was granted. The Veteran's claims for service connection for her claimed left and right wrist disabilities are not applicable as they do not involve issues related to service connection.