Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left and right knee strains due to insufficient evidence in previous examinations.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including right knee, upper back, neck, headache, right hip, and right thigh conditions. The claims are now remanded for further development.

The Veteran's children, D.T.P. and D.K.P., are not entitled to dependency benefits as they were over the age of 18 and did not meet the criteria for additional payment due to their school attendance or enrollment status.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his service-connected right knee replacement is remanded due to inadequate examination and possible worsening of symptoms. The Veteran will be scheduled for an additional VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date and a higher initial rating for his right knee disability are remanded due to the need for additional medical examination.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for left knee degenerative joint disease was denied. The Board found that the symptoms did not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of right knee, back, and hip disorders is remanded for additional examination to address the relationship between these conditions and his service-connected right foot disability.

The Board has remanded the cases for further action due to new evidence received after the April 2017 SOC.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for an addendum opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability aggravated his left knee disability.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for right knee disability and bilateral hearing loss were denied. The decision found that the evidence did not meet criteria for higher ratings under applicable VA rating schedules.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims, including VA examinations and obtaining outstanding records. The issues of increased evaluations for right knee disabilities, PTSD, sarcoidosis, and hypertension are being remanded.

The Board has remanded several service connection claims due to the need for additional development and evidence.,No effective date is assigned as no earlier claim was filed.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee strain and arthritis, right hip strain, left hip strain, and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine. Service connection is denied for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine.

The Board has remanded three issues: an initial rating for a back disability, an initial compensable rating for a deviated nasal septum, and service connection for a right knee disorder claimed as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected back disability. The Veteran is required to undergo VA examinations to assess his current symptomatology and etiology of these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the right knee, finding that DJD was not incurred or aggravated by service and is not otherwise related to any incident of service.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his right knee, which was rated at 30 percent since July 1, 2016, has been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show severe painful motion or weakness to warrant a higher 60 percent rating. For TDIU, the Veteran's combined disability rating of 50 percent does not meet the schedular criteria for entitlement on and after July 1, 2016.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including left shoulder disorder, bilateral elbow disorder, hypertension, right shoulder disorder, bilateral knee disorder, and tinnitus. The appeals are being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions and evidence related to these issues.

The Veteran's claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for right knee and low back disabilities were denied as the evidence did not show that his conditions resulted from VA care, treatment or training.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the need for a VA examination to assess his ability to secure or follow substantially gainful employment given his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's radiculopathy of the lower left extremity has been granted a 20 percent rating effective April 10, 2014. The Board finds that additional development is needed for his other service-connected disabilities as their severity may impact the ratings assigned.