Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his cervical spine and knee injuries, are found to have contributed substantially or materially to cause the Veteran's death. As a result, DIC benefits based on service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death are granted.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, lumbar spine and bilateral knee disorders, as well as bilateral hearing loss due to the need for further medical evaluation and opinion.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities due to inadequate examination findings. The case is now before the Board for further review.

The Board has found that a new VA examination is needed due to the lack of recent range-of-motion measurements for the Veteran's right knee. The case is being remanded for this purpose.

The Board has found that the VA did not substantially comply with its October 2020 remand directives and another remand is necessary due to a lack of clarity regarding whether the Veteran's May 2018 left knee surgery required convalescence.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine disability and assigned a separate initial 20 percent rating, but no higher, for left knee instability. The Veteran's increased ratings for left and right knee disabilities are denied.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151, initial compensable disability rating and a rating exceeding 10 percent from February 27, 2023, for residuals of a nose injury, to include rhinitis, and service connection for a neck injury and residuals thereof.

The Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the right knee is currently rated at 10 percent, and a new VA examination is needed to determine if a higher rating is warranted due to increased symptoms.

The Board denied service connection for a back injury, right knee condition, left ankle condition, and right ankle condition due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.,Service connection was not granted as the Veteran's current diagnoses do not meet the criteria for direct service connection.

The Board has remanded the claims for a compensable rating for the right foot disability, service connection for bilateral hearing loss, and service connection for back, knee, ankle, and left foot conditions due to new evidence received after the November 2019 statement of the case.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of adequate consideration of the Federal Circuit's decision in Saunders v. Wilkie, which allows for disability determination based on pain alone if it causes functional impairment.

The Board has found that the claims for right knee, left knee, bilateral foot, indigestion (GERD and functional gastrointestinal disorder), and low back disabilities must be considered on their merits due to additional relevant service records being added after the initial denial. The case is remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to scheduling issues with VA examinations. The Veteran is advised that failure to cooperate by not attending the requested VA examination may result in an adverse determination.

The Board has granted service connection for left and right elbow pain, as well as right and left knee pain, based on objective indications of an undiagnosed illness due to service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations.,Service connection is also denied for a claimed eye disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeals for increased rating and service connection due to untimely filing of her substantive appeal.

The Veteran's right fifth finger fracture is rated as noncompensable prior to January 16, 2020, and since February 28, 2022. From January 16, 2020, to February 28, 2022, a 10 percent rating for the right fifth finger fracture is granted. The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the right knee and left knee strain are both remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA examinations and requests for new evaluations.

The Veteran's bilateral knee instability is rated at 20 percent from April 13, 2012. The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for shoulder impairments secondary to knee disabilities.

The Veteran's TDIU appeal is remanded as there has been no medical opinion addressing the combined effects of his service-connected disabilities on his occupational impairment.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to outstanding records and inconsistencies in her testimony regarding exposure during service. The claims will be returned for further development.