Knee decisions — 2022

The Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral knee disabilities was reopened due to new and material evidence. Service connection is granted for right and left knee disabilities, with the Board finding that these conditions are related to parachute jumps during his military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability and low back disability, finding no evidence of direct or secondary service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, Hepatitis C, OSA, and back conditions, have prevented him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to March 15, 2015.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a right hip disability, including as proximately caused by service-connected knee and back disabilities, is being remanded due to procedural errors in the initial handling of his appeal under VA's Legacy system. The issues will be readjudicated once the proper procedural steps are taken.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and a VA opinion on the Veteran's bilateral knee disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for major depressive disorder has been granted. The Board found that the chronic pain from his service-connected lumbar strain disability caused his current major depressive disorder.,Service connection for PTSD was denied as there is no credible supporting evidence of an in-service stressor.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unemployable prior to January 19, 2011. The Board found insufficient evidence to substantiate a reasonable possibility that the Veteran is unemployable by reason of his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions addressing the Veteran's assertions of in-service helicopter accidents and post-service injuries, as well as his private treatment records.

Tinnitus and sinus disability, to include allergies, spine disability, right elbow disability, left elbow disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, right leg disability (shin splints), and left leg disability (shin splints) have been granted service connection. Bilateral hearing loss has not been established as a disability for VA purposes.,The remaining issues of service connection for these conditions are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for higher disability ratings for his service-connected lumbar spine and left knee disabilities due to incomplete VA examinations.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, knee disabilities, and hand disabilities, are deemed to be of a nature and severity that preclude him from engaging in substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's right knee degenerative arthritis is currently rated at 10 percent, but the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on current symptoms.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right hip, knee, and leg disorders as secondary to his service-connected lumbosacral strain due to insufficient medical opinions in the previous VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection of his left knee disability due to insufficient evidence and need for further development.

The Veteran's left shoulder, right shoulder, thoracolumbar spine, cervical spine, and right knee disorders are all granted service connection. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not caused by National Guard duty.

The Board has found that the VA examinations did not comply with the July 2021 Board remand directives and thus, the claims for right knee tendonitis with arthritis, thoracolumbar spine with arthritis, right elbow, right foot condition, left foot condition, right hand condition, left hand condition, and left elbow are being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left foot, right knee, and right hip disabilities have been denied. The Board found no evidence of a current disability or in-service disease/injury related to these conditions.,For the right knee disability, the Board determined that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease and that any current symptoms were more likely due to post-service motor vehicle accidents.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and employment information. The TDIU claim is also remanded as there is conflicting evidence regarding her work history.

The Board has dismissed all the issues of service connection for various conditions as the Veteran died during the appeal process.