Knee Board decisions

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee disability, right knee disability, and tinnitus due to lack of a causal relationship between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's initial disability rating for a left knee disability is granted at 20 percent. The right knee disability remains remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient compliance with previous remand directives and a need for additional medical examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back and right knee disorders due to insufficient opinions in previous VA examinations. The Veteran is also being asked to provide updated information regarding his employment status.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right hip strain, left hip strain, right knee disability, left knee disability, right ankle disability, and left ankle disability due to inadequate examination findings.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for osteoarthritis of the left hip due to new and material evidence. The case is remanded for further development, including a secondary service connection opinion considering all relevant conditions.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee condition should be remanded due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a new VA medical examination of the Veteran's right knee, as the previous examination did not adequately assess functional loss after repeated use over time.

The Board has denied service connection for right knee degenerative arthritis, right hip disability (claimed as secondary to right knee), and right ankle disability (claimed as secondary to right knee) due to a lack of evidence showing the conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.,There is no current diagnosis of any of these conditions in the Veteran's medical records.

The Veteran's ratings for instability of the left knee and leg length discrepancy status post fracture of left lower leg were restored, with a rating in excess of 10% granted for left knee osteoarthritis.

The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for right hallux rigidus, service connection for left knee disorder, and service connection for right knee disorder due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Veteran's renouncement of all VA benefits was valid, and the request to reinstate those benefits is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy and right knee degenerative arthritis with leg length discrepancy and right tibia/fibula compound fracture, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the current level of disability.

The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA), effective November 18, 2019. The appellant is eligible to receive attorney fees from past-due benefits awarded for these decisions.

The Board found that the Veteran was not precluded from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities prior to February 10, 2020.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors and to obtain relevant records, including SSA records. The claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for further examination and opinion regarding the etiology of the claimed conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various disabilities due to a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error in not obtaining all relevant service treatment and personnel records. The Veteran is not entitled to service connection for obesity as it is not considered a disease or injury for which direct or secondary service connection may be granted.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at a private facility is denied as the treatment did not meet the criteria for emergency medical care and VA facilities were feasibly available.

The Veteran's service-connected panic disorder with agoraphobia is granted at a 70 percent rating, effective July 31, 2012. The right knee and right-hand disorders are remanded for further review.

The Veteran's PTSD rating is restored to 70% effective September 1, 2019.,The Veteran is granted TDIU from September 21, 2015.