Knee decisions — 2024

The Board has determined that there were duty to assist errors in the development of the Veteran's claims prior to the October 2022 rating decision on appeal. The AOJ obtained VA medical opinions addressing the etiology of the Veteran's claimed disabilities, but these opinions are deemed inadequate as they did not consider the competent and credible lay evidence provided by the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for back and right knee disabilities due to insufficient medical opinions and incomplete records. The Veteran will need to provide additional evidence or authorize VA to obtain his National Guard records and private chiropractor records.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left knee, right knee, and right foot disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions in the prior decision.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for Parkinson's disease due to new and relevant evidence. The TDIU claim is denied as there are no service-connected disabilities meeting the schedular requirements, and the appellant is not unemployable by reason of his service-connected conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of STRs and an inadequate VA opinion. The Veteran's left knee condition is being reviewed again for service connection.

The appeals for service connection for sinusitis, rhinitis, and chronic bronchitis have been dismissed.,The appeals for service connection for right knee degenerative arthritis with patellofemoral syndrome (claimed as arthritis in knees), left knee degenerative arthritis with patellofemoral syndrome (claimed as arthritis in knees), and tinnitus have been remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right hearing loss, as well as a right knee disorder, are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's right knee condition has been rated at 10 percent, and the Board is remanding this issue for further development. Additionally, earlier effective dates are being sought for TDIU and Dependents' Educational Assistance benefits.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for deviated septum, left leg disorder, right shoulder disability, clavicle fracture, and right knee strain have been denied. The Board found no evidence of in-service injuries or diseases that could be linked to the current conditions.,Service connection was not granted as there is no direct link between any of these conditions and service.

The Veteran's lower back disability alone necessitates regular aid and attendance, leading to the grant of increased special monthly compensation at the SMC-L12 rate as of August 16, 2022.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his left and right knees were dismissed as there was no disagreement with the September 2022 rating decision.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for left knee patellofemoral syndrome has been dismissed. The claim of service connection for a bilateral foot disability (to include the ball, arches, rashes, and dry skin) is granted due to new and relevant evidence having been received.

The Board has granted the Veteran's appeal that his October 25, 2019 notice of disagreement was timely filed. The claims for service connection are being remanded to allow the RO to address each issue.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis for erectile dysfunction or hypertension, and therefore these claims are denied. The remaining issues of service connection for various foot and hip disorders, as well as left knee scar, are remanded due to inadequate examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error and requires an opinion on whether the Veteran's gastritis is related to his in-service gastrointestinal complaints, exposure to toxic substances while on active duty, or service-connected conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee condition, finding that there was no positive nexus opinion in the evidence of record linking her current disability to an in-service injury or disease.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions are not fully evaluated for eligibility of specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation due to the lack of an examination assessing the impact on his daily activities.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right and left knee conditions, including patellofemoral pain syndrome and knee strain. The Veteran's tinea versicolor is also found to be related to his active duty.,Service connection was established based on direct evidence of a nexus between the Veteran's current condition and his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for right knee replacement residuals and right knee scar were denied as the evidence did not support ratings in excess of the current assigned percentages.

The Board has remanded the claims for GERD, painful scar, and left knee scars due to insufficient evidence in the record. The Veteran's condition must be evaluated without the effects of medication for GERD, and an additional examination is needed for the left knee scars.