Knee decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for neck, back, right knee, left knee, right ankle, and left ankle disorders due to an in-service fall. The Veteran asserts that these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has granted a 20 percent disability rating for left knee instability from February 6, 2013. The Veteran's left knee flexion is rated at 10 percent.

The Veteran's nonlinear scars of the anterior trunk are not painful, unstable, or associated with underlying tissue damage and do not affect a total area greater than 929 square centimeters.,The Veteran does not have a current left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, left ankle disability, right ankle disability, left knee disability, or right knee disability.

The Board denied service connection for heart disease, hemophilia, and PTSD. The claim for erectile dysfunction was granted as secondary to hypertension.,Service connection was not established for the claimed conditions.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted an initial rating of 70 percent, effective September 19, 2018. The appeals for right knee disability, deviated nasal septum, sinusitis, and thoracolumbar spine spondylosis and lumbar strain are remanded.

The Veteran's depressive disorder is granted a 50% rating for the period prior to April 12, 2019. For the entire appeal period, his right and left knee osteoarthritis are each granted separate 10% ratings for instability. The Veteran’s left upper extremity radiculopathy is not rated higher than 30%. No rating in excess of 50% for depressive disorder or any other condition is granted.

The Veteran's appeals for various conditions and service connection claims have been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a lack of medical records and private medical records from Dr. Nguyen and Dr. Li.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation from February 16, 2016, to September 10, 2017. The TDIU is granted during this period and the appeal for a temporary total evaluation due to hernia repair is remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for PTSD prior to February 27, 2014 has been withdrawn. The Board is remanding the cases regarding a higher rating for PTSD beginning February 27, 2014 and TDIU.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee and back conditions due to incomplete notification of her rights under the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000 (VCAA).

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee degenerative joint disease, right ankle tendonitis, and left lower extremity polyneuropathy have been granted. The appeals are allowed to the extent of these specific conditions.

The Veteran's appeal of the effective dates assigned for separate ratings for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy is denied as there is no evidence of radiculopathy prior to June 20, 2016.,The Veteran's appeals of the initial rating assigned for his service-connected left and right knee disabilities are remanded due to lack of sufficient medical evidence.

The Board has granted effective dates of October 5, 2010 for the grant of a 10 percent disability rating for left knee instability and right knee instability. The cases are remanded for further development.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his service-connected bilateral knee disability did not contribute to his death and was not a primary or contributory cause of death.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to November 8, 2004, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and records, particularly regarding her service-connected foot disabilities. The appeals will be reconsidered after these steps are completed.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee scar, neck condition, left shoulder condition, and right shoulder condition are being remanded due to the need for additional development.,New evidence has been submitted that raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's knee disabilities and hearing loss, as well as a need for further development of his TDIU claim.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection due to inadequate previous VA examinations. The Veteran's back, right knee, and sinus conditions need further examination.