Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities, including degenerative arthritis with chondromalacia, were rated at the maximum allowable under current criteria. The Board denied increased ratings for these conditions.

The Board has determined that additional evidence has been added to the record since the last review by the AOJ. The claims for service connection are being remanded for further consideration.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development, including verification of dates of active duty, ACDUTRA, and INACDUTRA. The Veteran's claims for service connection are not yet decided.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for new VA medical opinions regarding the Veteran's bilateral hip and knee disabilities, as the previous opinions did not adequately address the aggravation prong of secondary service connection.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of February 27, 2013 for the award of a 10 percent disability rating for left knee instability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU, finding that there was no ascertainable increase in disability during the one-year period prior to her December 13, 2017, filing.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for low back and bilateral knee disorders are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Veteran's right knee instability and painful motion have been restored to a 20 percent disability rating from August 2, 2018.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and opinion regarding service connection for right-knee disorder. The Veteran's in-service complaints of right-knee issues need to be addressed, along with his lay statements.

The Veteran's claims for service connection related to neck, right knee, left knee, right foot, and left foot disabilities have been reopened. The claims are denied as a matter of law due to lack of evidence showing a persistent disability in service.,There is no legal basis for the assignment of a schedular evaluation in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus.

The Veteran's right knee instability is rated at 20 percent from January 24, 2008.,From January 1, 2013 to April 9, 2017, the Veteran was granted a TDIU due to marginal employment.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased evaluations for right knee and hip disabilities due to inadequate VA examinations. Retrospective opinions are needed to determine the severity of these conditions before the Veteran's death.

The application to reopen a previously denied claim for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is granted. The applications to reopen claims for service connection for hemorrhoids, left knee condition, right knee condition, neck condition, and right ear hearing loss are denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations. The TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability, finding that it is related to his service-connected right knee disability.

The Veteran's appeals for a rating higher than 10 percent for left knee disability and service connection for right shoulder disability have been dismissed. The appeal of the TDIU issue has been remanded.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims regarding his left knee and right arm disabilities, as VA examinations were not conducted in accordance with regulations and the Veteran reported having flare-ups during these exams. The cases are being remanded to provide further evaluations.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for lichen planus simplex has been denied as he does not have a current diagnosis of this condition. The claims for increased ratings and service connection for other conditions are remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and readjudication due to outstanding VA treatment records, including those from Jackson Vista, Atlanta VA Health Care System, and Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System. The issues of increased ratings for service-connected left and right knee disabilities are being addressed.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA examination, specifically failing to evaluate the functional effects of a flare-up. The Veteran's attorney argued that the January 2019 VA knee examination is inadequate and requested an addendum opinion.