Knee decisions — 2014

The Board has denied the appellant's request to reopen her claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, as there is no new and material evidence received since the October 2006 rating decision.

The Board found that the Veteran's left knee disorder preexisted service and was not aggravated by active duty. As a result, the claim for service connection is denied.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the Board is dismissing the case.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including arthritis and chondromalacia of the right knee, is not service-connected.,There is no evidence of a current skin disease other than pseudofolliculitis barbae.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been denied. The effective date of the TDIU award is July 28, 1993.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for pes planus and bilateral knee disabilities, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee and left hip arthritis, as well as his bilateral shoulder disabilities, are caused by his service-connected amputation of the right leg above the knee. As such, these claims for service connection have been granted.

The Veteran's additional disability to the bilateral knees and legs is not deemed to be due to his participation in a VA CWT program, as there is no competent evidence showing that such participation caused or aggravated any pre-existing conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including a VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to address functional impairment of the right knee and clarification of previous findings.

The Veteran's right knee disability is found to be secondary to his service-connected left knee disabilities.,Service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and hypertension are also granted as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left knee disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for sciatica of the left and right legs, as well as a lumbar spine disorder and knee disorders are not supported by evidence. The Veteran's left shoulder fracture is service-connected.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for post-traumatic arthritis of the right knee, which he believes was caused by his service-connected left knee disability. The Board has determined that additional development is required to determine if the right knee disability is secondary to or aggravated by the left knee disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a lumbar spine disorder, a right hip disorder, and a right knee disorder. The Board found no evidence of in-service injury or disease related to these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of left knee, low back, and bilateral hip disorders are denied as the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions were caused or aggravated by his service-connected right knee disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bursitis of the right shoulder and a right knee iliotibial band disorder have been withdrawn. The Veteran is granted an initial rating of 50 percent for generalized anxiety disorder, effective June 6, 2008, and a higher initial rating of 50 percent for migraines, also effective June 6, 2008.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain relevant service and private treatment records, particularly those pertaining to the Veteran's Army Reserve service and his back injury. The case will be remanded for this purpose.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including new VA examinations to assess the severity of her service-connected knee disability and to determine if she has a current neck disability. The RO will also obtain any outstanding treatment records.

The Veteran's combined effects of service-connected disabilities render him unemployable, and his TDIU claim is granted. The reduction from 40 percent to 20 percent for fibromyalgia was improper, and restoration of the 40 percent rating is warranted. Evidence pertaining to a back disability received since the May 1997 decision is new and material, and the claim for service connection for a back disability is reopened.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee degenerative joint disease and denied service connection for perineal lipoma.