Knee decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the service connection claims for left knee condition, back condition, and frequent migraines due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Board denied the Veteran's requests for earlier effective dates for increased ratings of his bilateral knee disabilities, finding that the earliest possible effective date has already been assigned.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for an allowance for an automobile or other conveyance, and adaptive equipment, or adaptive equipment only due to lack of anatomical loss of hands or feet.

The Board has dismissed the appeals regarding whether new and relevant evidence has been submitted for entitlement to service connection for various disabilities, including left ankle, right ankle, left knee, right knee, back, neck, obstructive sleep apnea, and traumatic brain injury (TBI)/concussion. The decision does not affect the Veteran's HLR.

The Veteran's left knee disability has been rated as 100 percent disabling from July 26, 2020, and 30 percent disabling from January 1, 2021. The Board is remanding the claim for a higher rating from January 1, 2021 due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

Your appeal for a stair lift has been dismissed because your claim was approved by VA and the stair lift was installed in your home.

The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection of left knee pain due to the appellant's withdrawal of his appeal.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional records from private providers related to his left knee surgery and follow-up evaluations. The VA will obtain these records to make a determination on the claim.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 20% evaluation for his right knee disability was denied as the earliest date of entitlement arose is January 26, 2021.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for right knee, left knee, right foot, left foot, right hip, and left hip disabilities due to a lack of adequate medical opinions addressing causation and aggravation.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for cervical spine, low back, left knee, sinusitis, and insomnia disabilities due to new and relevant evidence. The appeals are remanded for further adjudication.

The Veteran's appeals for increased disability ratings for right knee conditions have been dismissed due to their death during the appeal process.

The Veteran's PTSD with other specified depressive disorder was granted a 70 percent rating effective November 22, 2021.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral knee disorder and right hand disorder due to inadequate VA medical opinions. The Veteran contends her conditions are related to in-service duties, but the VA examiner did not consider these lay statements or treatment records.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee condition, left knee condition, and lumbar spine condition as there is no evidence of in-service injury or disease that resulted in current disabilities.

The Veteran's appeals for higher ratings for his left hip and right knee disabilities were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent for the left hip open reduction internal fixation with osteoarthritis, or compensable ratings for abduction, adduction, or limitation of motion of the left hip. A noncompensable rating was assigned for his left thigh scar.

Your appeals for service connection for a left knee disability and an increased rating for your back disability have been dismissed because the methods you used to appeal were not valid.

The Board has remanded the appellant's claims for increased ratings and service connection due to deficiencies in the VA examination reports, including lack of consideration of medications and flare-ups. The AOJ is instructed to obtain relevant SSA records and private treatment records, afford additional VA examinations, and readjudicate the claims.

The Board has dismissed the claims of service connection for left shoulder degenerative joint disease, left knee degenerative arthritis, and thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has dismissed the claims of service connection for left shoulder degenerative joint disease, left knee degenerative arthritis, and thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis due to the Veteran's death.