Knee decisions — 2017

The Veteran is granted a 10 percent rating for right knee PFS prior to March 8, 2011, and in excess of 10 percent thereafter.,The Veteran is granted a 10 percent rating for left knee PFS prior to March 8, 2011, and in excess of 10 percent thereafter. The Veteran is also granted a 10 percent rating for the left knee scar post laceration before February 2, 2015, and a 20 percent rating thereafter.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left and right knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining information about medication use prior to a March 2015 VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee disability is not related to service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities, specifically left and right knee arthritis with instability, are currently rated at 10 percent each. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating for either knee.

The Board found that the Veteran's left knee disorder is not related to his service or service-connected right knee disorders, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has granted the Veteran's waiver of recovery of an overpayment of $4,657.84 due to VA error in awarding benefits prior to his separation from service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left knee or leg and lumbar spine disabilities are not related to service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The right knee disability was rated as 10 percent prior to April 4, 2016, and 30 percent from June 1, 2017. Service connection for left knee and back disabilities secondary to the right knee disability was also denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are of such nature and severity as to preclude him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for inguinal hernia, finding that the condition manifested from an injury incurred during a period of INACDUTRA. The Veteran's hypertension and knee disabilities are not related to his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's additional disability was not caused by VA negligence or fault, and thus denied his claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Board has denied the Veteran's service connection claims for mid-back, left knee, and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome disabilities as they are not related to his service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to inadequate VA examinations and the need for a new examination. The issue of entitlement to an evaluation in excess of 30 percent as of April 1, 2013, for a total right knee replacement, including entitlement to a separate rating for instability of the right knee, will be reconsidered.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disability, right shoulder disability, and sleep apnea are all related to service.,However, due to lack of specific diagnosis for sleep apnea in this decision summary, it is not clear if the Veteran currently has a diagnosed condition or if his symptoms are still being evaluated.

The Veteran has withdrawn all issues on appeal regarding service connection for left knee degenerative joint disease, increased evaluation for bilateral hearing loss prior to May 15, 2015, and TDIU prior to May 15, 2015.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left knee disabilities, as well as service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar and cervical spines, were denied by the Board.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development to obtain medical records and provide the Veteran with a VA examination to determine if his current left knee, cervical spine, and lumbar spine disabilities are related to service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left hand, foot, knee disabilities and loss of teeth due to trauma. The evidence does not support a finding that any current disability is related to service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current left knee and lumbar spine disorders are not related to his active military service, as there is no evidence of chronic disabilities within one year post-service. The Board also noted inconsistencies in the Veteran's reports regarding when he first experienced symptoms.