Knee Board decisions

The Board denied increased ratings for the veteran's right knee injury and left knee degenerative joint disease, finding that the evidence did not support higher evaluations based on functional loss or other criteria.

The Board denied the veteran's request to waive recoupment of military severance pay from his VA disability compensation, as it is required by law.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection, finding no new and material evidence to reopen his claim. The appeal is therefore denied.

The Board has determined that a rating of 20 percent is warranted for the veteran's service-connected myositis of the lumbar paravertebral muscles, effective as of the date of this decision.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current left knee disability had its onset in service and is therefore granted service connection for a left knee disorder. The right knee issue remains pending as it was not fully developed.

The veteran's service connection claims for left knee disability, blackouts, asthma, and chest and side pain have been denied as there is no diagnosed condition to support the claims.

The January 1982 rating decision denied the veteran's claim for entitlement to total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU). The August 1993 rating decision granted TDIU but assigned an effective date of March 16, 1993. However, the veteran did not meet the statutory duration requirements for a total disability rating at the time of his death in April 2002.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for financial assistance in the purchase of an automobile or other conveyance and adaptive equipment, as his actual functional use of his ankles/feet is not so ineffective that it could be equally well served by an amputation.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and verifying stressors.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for an examination to determine if the veteran's right knee disability is caused or aggravated by his service-connected left knee disability.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including a VA examination and consideration of the revised rating criteria for spine disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to discrepancies in representation and notification.

The veteran's right knee conditions have been rated at the maximum available rating of 20 percent, and no higher. The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to determine if a higher evaluation can be assigned.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining outstanding medical records and notifying the veteran of his right to submit additional evidence.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service medical records and arranging for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any current cerebellar ataxia with peripheral neuropathy.

The Board finds the veteran's degenerative joint disease with marked instability of the right knee was incurred as a result of an injury during active service, and thus grants the claim for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of March 25, 1996 for service connection for residuals of a jeep accident during service.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for bursitis of the right and left knees are being remanded due to procedural issues.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current bilateral wrist disability or right knee disability that was caused or aggravated by any incident of service.

The veteran's claims for earlier effective dates are denied. The RO has already granted an effective date of August 10, 1994, for his total rating based on individual unemployability and the increased evaluations for the right and left knee disabilities as of that date.