Knee decisions — 2024

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee disorders are being remanded due to the submission of new evidence that is relevant to the issues. The Board finds that the medical opinion provided by the treating provider does not contain sufficient rationale to support a full grant of the claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disorder is related to an in-service injury and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's hypertension was not rated as compensable, as his diastolic pressure did not predominantly reach 100 or more.,SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance is granted with an effective date of November 1, 2011.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since at least March 2015, and the Board has granted an earlier effective date of August 19, 2020 for this determination.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings in multiple lower extremity disabilities have been dismissed due to the withdrawal of his appeal by his representative.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for SLE with scarring alopecia and bilateral knee osteoarthritis prior to May 11, 2021 was denied.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of SMC at the housebound rate was granted from May 4, 2010.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for headaches, gastrointestinal disability, and left knee disability due to duty-to-assist errors in previous decisions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral foot pain and right knee pain due to duty-to-assist errors. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions, which are related to her military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to the VA examiner's incorrect attribution of his disabilities to post-service employment, rather than service. New examinations are required to determine if his disabilities are related to his military service.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal of his appeal.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus, right elbow condition, and right leg condition due to a lack of adequate medical opinions regarding the causal nexus between his service and these conditions. The increased rating claims for bilateral knee disabilities and right Achilles tendonitis are also being remanded.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disorder, finding that his current condition had its onset in service and has continued since separation.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities are rated at the maximum available, with separate ratings for instability and meniscal conditions. The appeal is granted for these additional ratings.

The Veteran's left knee sprain with enthesopathy and osteoarthritis, right knee osteoarthritis, and left and right knee instability are all rated at the maximum allowable under current VA rating criteria.,VA has denied any increase in ratings for these conditions as they do not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on the evidence of record.

The Board has restored a 10 percent disability rating for the service-connected right knee instability from August 1, 2021. The appeal for restoration of a 10 percent disability rating for the left knee instability was dismissed as there is no justiciable case or controversy.

The Board has found that the Veteran's claims for service connection must be remanded due to a duty-to-assist error. Specifically, VA did not attempt to obtain Social Security Administration (SSA) records and Georgia disability records which are potentially relevant to the claims.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for low back and right knee disabilities due to a lack of verification of the Veteran's periods of active duty, ADT, or IDT. The AOJ is instructed to verify these dates and provide a memorandum detailing each period of verified military service.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss has been denied. The Board finds the evidence does not support a higher rating based on current audiometric test results.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left knee conditions and their relationship to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation, as he was employed full-time prior to June 8, 2020. The Board finds that TDIU is not warranted based on the single service-connected disability of his back condition.