Knee decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative joint disease of both his left and right knees due to insufficient medical evidence on file.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative joint disease of the left hip is granted. The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected degenerative joint disease of the left knee is remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates for his service-connected right knee strain, left knee strain, left shoulder strain, and right shoulder strain.

The Veteran's left knee disability, which includes a meniscal tear and osteoarthritis, is currently rated at 30 percent. The Board found that the evidence did not warrant an evaluation in excess of this rating.

The Veteran's left knee DJD and instability, as well as his lumbar spine disability, are all granted with specific ratings. The left knee DJD is rated at 10% from November 20, 2008 to December 3, 2018, and the lumbar spine disability remains at 20%. The Veteran's meniscus tear and instability each receive a separate 10% rating.

The claim for service connection for PTSD, mental condition including PTSD, right knee patella compression syndrome, left knee patella compression syndrome, and bilateral hearing loss has been reopened. The claims are now pending on the merits.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral eye condition is withdrawn from appeal.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including his partial meniscectomy and degenerative joint disease, is currently rated at 10 percent. The appeal for higher ratings has been denied.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for TBI prior to April 19, 2019 was denied. The rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee traumatic arthritis with limitation of extension and the compensable rating for right ear hearing loss were also denied.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine, left knee, right knee, left foot, and right foot disabilities. Service connection is denied for low back, left shoulder, and right shoulder disabilities.,Service connection was granted based on the Veteran's credible reports of in-service injuries and continuity of symptomatology.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and remanded other issues due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for the left knee disability and dismissed appeals for right elbow and right ankle disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for his left knee conditions was denied. The current disability ratings adequately capture the functional and economic limitations he experiences.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate development and lack of adequate VA opinions. The Veteran's claims will be reviewed again with proper documentation and medical examination.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's severance pay should be recouped from his VA disability compensation benefits. However, due to missing personnel records and incomplete audit information, the case is being sent back for further investigation.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his bilateral knee chondromalacia have been denied as the evidence does not show that his disabilities meet or approximate the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Veteran's initial 10 percent rating for right hand finger laceration, residual scar is granted. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The remaining service connection claims are remanded for further development.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims of service connection for left and right knee disabilities, depression, and arthritis of the lumbar spine. The claims are now remanded to determine if these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's right knee arthritis is granted service connection. The issues of service connection for GERD, left knee disability, and bilateral foot disabilities are remanded.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for sclerosis of the left knee, tenosynovitis of the left knee, and tendonitis of the left wrist have been dismissed as she withdrew her claims prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran withdrew their claims for service connection for right and left knee disorders, so the appeal is dismissed.