Knee decisions — 2019

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee scar and patellar subluxation were granted effective October 19, 2011. The appellant seeks an earlier effective date.

The Board has granted service connection for lower back, right knee, right hip, and left hip disabilities based on the Veteran's service-connected right ankle disability.

The Veteran's left knee, left shoulder, and right shoulder degenerative joint diseases are all found to have onset during active service. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating in excess of 30 percent for his left knee strain is dismissed. The Board also remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee disorder, pes planus, and hepatitis C due to incomplete medical evidence. The RO must obtain a VA examination or arrange for an examination at the correctional facility if possible.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for respiratory conditions and a right knee disability have been denied as there is no evidence to support the assertion that these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for a right eye injury and denied service connection for back pain, bilateral flatfeet disorder, and bilateral knee pain.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of service connection for right and left knee disabilities due to incomplete medical records and new lay testimony indicating that the Veteran's knee issues may be related to service, specifically parachute jumps and a mortar attack. Additional evidence is needed before further decisions can be made.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted a 70 percent rating, effective from the date of the decision. The Veteran’s migraine headaches are granted a 50 percent rating, and her right and left knee disabilities are remanded for further review.

The Board has decided to remand the service connection claims for various disabilities, including low back, neck, knee, ankle, and foot injuries sustained during military service. The Veteran's contentions include injuries from falling off helicopters and hitting his head and back in 1999, as well as knee and ankle injuries in 2000. VA is instructed to schedule the Veteran for an examination to determine if these disabilities are related to his service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee meniscal tear and osteoarthritis, finding that there is at least a reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for an increased rating for right knee disorder and TDIU should be remanded due to insufficient development of evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were submitted in December 2015, but the AOJ must attempt to locate and transfer any earlier VA treatment records from July 2013 to June 2014. The case is remanded due to incomplete evidence.

The Board has granted a 60 percent disability rating for the Veteran's service-connected left knee traumatic arthritis, effective April 1, 2008. The decision finds that the Veteran's symptoms of severe painful motion and weakness are chronic and significant.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for cervical spine and right knee disabilities are remanded due to inadequate previous examinations. The Board requires additional VA examinations to assess the severity of his conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for his left knee disability is denied. The Board found that the preponderance of evidence did not support a higher rating prior to April 8, 2013, and after June 1, 2014, he was assigned a 30% rating.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient opinions regarding whether the Veteran's back and knee conditions were aggravated by his service-connected right knee condition or altered gait. The claims are also remanded for obtaining updated VA treatment records.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee disorders, finding that there is no evidence of a chronic condition during or within one year after service, and that any current conditions are not related to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee disorders, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current knee conditions and his military service.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including tinnitus and back disability, stomach disorder, right knee disorder, liver disorder, skin lesions (other than the already service-connected right ear cyst), hypothyroidism, and diabetes mellitus. The reasons given were that there was no evidence of these conditions during active duty or until many years after separation.