Knee decisions — 2020

The Veteran's right knee disability is granted as secondary to his service-connected left knee disability. An initial 20 percent rating for instability of the left knee is granted, but a higher rating for internal derangement with degenerative changes on flexion and extension basis is denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to inadequate responses in previous remands. The Veteran's foot, leg/knee, stomach/GI, and respiratory conditions are all being reviewed.

The Board denied service connection for a left lower extremity condition, right lower extremity condition, and left knee disability due to lack of current disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to the need for additional examinations and development of medical records. The issues include right ankle disability, bilateral knee condition (secondary to right ankle), left shoulder numbness (secondary to right shoulder), and bilateral shoulder condition (related to right shoulder).

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the Veteran's failure to attend VA examinations and the need for an in-person examination of his left knee disability.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left knee disability, finding that it is at least as likely as not caused by an in-service injury.

The Veteran's appeal for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss as a residual of and secondary to vertigo was denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not demonstrate hearing loss on testing, thus no service connection is warranted. Other claims were remanded due to lack of VA examination records.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disorder and denied entitlement to TDIU based on the Veteran's service-connected left leg and knee disabilities. The Board found that there was no link between the Veteran’s current low back disorder and his active service or any service-connected disability, including his left leg and knee disabilities.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for a TDIU, but has remanded the issue of an earlier effective date due to the need to refer it to VA's Director of Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for an increased rating for service-connected right knee arthritis due to inadequate examination and need for new evidence.

The Board found that the Veteran's VA Form 9 was untimely and denied his claims for service connection due to lack of timely appeal.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for right knee, shoulder, ankle disabilities and heart disease due to insufficient medical evidence. The claims will be reconsidered on their merits without determining if new and material evidence was received.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his service-connected left shoulder dislocation with rotator cuff tear, lumbar spine disc disease, and related conditions was denied. The Board found that the current ratings adequately reflected the severity of these disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for plantar fasciitis and right knee disability has been remanded due to the need for additional evidence. The Veteran requested to withdraw her claim of service connection for plantar fasciitis, but the issue remains pending as it was withdrawn by her representative.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for a left knee condition as new and material evidence was not submitted, and the claim remains closed.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's left knee disorder, specifically whether it is related to his military service or bilateral pes planus.

The Board denied the claim of service connection for a right knee disability, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between the current right knee arthritis and active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee condition and an increased rating for PTSD. The evidence did not support finding that the Veteran's current conditions began during service or were related to in-service injuries.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee, ankle, and foot disorders due to inadequate VA examination opinions and unobtained workers' compensation records. The AOJ is instructed to obtain these records and refer the case for additional VA examinations.

The Veteran's claim for arthritis of the joints, excluding bilateral knee arthritis is denied as there is no evidence that these conditions began during service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.,The Veteran's claim for a back disability is denied as there is no evidence that this condition began during service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.