Knee Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to a lack of compliance with previous remand directives.

The Veteran's claim for higher ratings and earlier effective dates for various conditions related to his military service has been denied. The appeal is not about service connection, but rather the evaluation of existing disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development and consideration, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of notification for a VA examination and failure to obtain requested medical opinions. The Veteran's bilateral knee disorder is being reviewed again.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for right ankle, right knee, and tendonitis disabilities due to insufficient information. Additional records from SSA and VA are needed, as well as a VA examination.

The Board has granted service connection for a right ankle disability, but has remanded the cases for further examination and rating considerations.

The Veteran's left knee disability, including limitation of flexion and extension, instability, and meniscus tear, is rated at a 60 percent since January 30, 2010.

The Veteran meets the schedular requirement for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities, which include PTSD, degenerative joint disease of the left knee, partial medial collateral ligament tear of the left knee, and tinnitus. His combined service-connected disability evaluation is 80 percent from July 30, 2010.

The Veteran's right knee disorder is granted with a 10% rating. The left knee disorder claim has been denied as not related to service or service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claims for initial, compensable ratings for right and left knee strain are remanded due to inadequate examination reports regarding the extent of functional loss during flare-ups.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for depression has been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The Board finds that a current knee disability is not related to service, but does not deny service connection for arthritis with knee brace as there was no in-service injury or disease.

The Veteran's right knee disability is productive of locking and slight instability. The Board has granted a separate rating for each condition, with the right knee locking receiving a 20% rating and the right knee instability receiving a 10% rating.

The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to service connection for left ear hearing loss, entitlement to a compensable initial rating for right ear hearing loss, and entitlement to higher initial ratings for right and left knee strain with patellofemoral pain. The Veteran must file a timely substantive appeal to perfect an appeal to the Board of these issues stemming from the March 2017 rating decision.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a left knee disability, hepatitis C, and an increased rating for the service-connected left shoulder disability. Additionally, the cause of death claim is also being remanded due to inextricably intertwined issues.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his bilateral knee and back conditions, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since January 4, 2012. Prior to that date, the evidence did not support a TDIU claim.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of left knee injuries and scar tissue on the left knee, finding that there is a preponderance of evidence supporting these claims.

The Board has decided to remand several claims for additional development, including obtaining medical records and a VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left knee, right wrist, left wrist, right ankle, and right foot conditions due to a lack of VA examinations.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate VA examination and the need for additional medical records. The Veteran's right knee disability will be evaluated again with a new examination.

The Veteran's right knee degenerative joint disease is found to be at least as likely as not related to his in-service right knee injury and symptoms, thus service connection for this condition is granted.