Knee Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there was no evidence of a qualifying chronic disability or other basis for service connection.

The Board has remanded the service connection claims for back, right knee, and left hip disabilities due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's claim for a temporary total disability rating is denied as he did not file within one year of the surgery.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted with a 40% rating from August 12, 2021 to the present. The Veteran's right knee instability from February 23, 2016 to May 23, 2017 is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the issues of diabetes mellitus, type 2; bilateral eye disability; left knee disability (reopened); kidney disability; peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities; erectile dysfunction; prostate disability; and lower back disability are still pending. The Board has remanded these issues for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee disorder, left knee disorder, low back disorder, and bilateral glaucoma.,Service connection is granted for the Veteran's current right knee, left knee, and low back disorders based on in-service injuries during Reserve component training (IDT).

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his service-connected left knee scar has been denied.,The Veteran's claims for an effective date earlier than October 26, 2017, for service-connected left knee degenerative arthritis and left knee scar have also been denied.,The Board has ordered the case to be remanded due to insufficient examination of the Veteran's left knee disability.

The Board has dismissed all claims for increased ratings due to the appellant's death.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for back disability, left knee injury, and right knee injury due to a lack of VA examinations. The AOJ is instructed to attempt scheduling the Veteran for additional VA examinations.

The Veteran's appeals for separate ratings for digestive conditions and earlier effective dates for SMC benefits were dismissed. The Board found that the Veteran is entitled to SMC (o) based on his service-connected disabilities, which require him to have aid and attendance. He also qualifies for SMC (r)(1).

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral lower extremity condition, including knee disabilities. The Veteran is presumed credible in his assertions that his pain began during service and continued after service.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims due to failure to provide VA examinations as required by law. The specific issues include tinnitus, dizziness, headaches, low back disability, right and left knee disabilities, erectile dysfunction, and gum disease.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have not been shown to render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus his claim for TDIU is denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to in-service injury and subsequent amputations, chronic pain conditions, and secondary disabilities. The issues are intertwined and require additional medical opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right knee condition, finding that his current right knee disability originated in service and resolving any doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's back disability is currently rated at 20 percent, but the Board finds that it does not warrant a higher rating due to limited flexion.,The Veteran's right knee disability is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds no basis for a higher rating based on current evidence.,The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds no basis for a higher rating based on current evidence.

The Board found that the November 1991 rating decision denying service connection for a right knee disability did not contain clear and unmistakable error (CUE), as there was no evidence of pre-existing condition prior to entry into service, and thus the presumption of soundness could not be rebutted. The Veteran's claim is denied.

The Veteran's depressive disorder is currently rated at 70 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher rating of 100 percent is not warranted based on the evidence provided.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development to determine if his current right and left knee disabilities, specifically chondromalacia patella, are part of a congenital pre-existing condition or a superimposed injury.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for ulcerative colitis was denied, and his ratings for cervical spine disability were also denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection or an increase in rating.

The Veteran's right and left knee conditions have been granted initial ratings of 30 percent each, effective as of the date of this decision.