The veteran's claim for a psychiatric disability, including depression, has been found plausible. His low back disability is determined to be secondary to his service-connected left knee disability. The veteran's left knee disability meets the criteria for a 60% evaluation.
The deciding factor: The veteran's left knee disability caused significant functional impairment and pain, which led to instability and weakness in the quadriceps muscles, contributing to his back problems.
- Claimed conditions
- Psychiatric Disability to include Depression, Low Back Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- February 17, 2000
- Citation
- 0004227
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0004227.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the claims for service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, a low back disability, a left knee disability, and a left shoulder disability as there was no evidence to support that these conditions were incurred in or caused by the Veteran's military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, low back disability, and associated nerve pain due to a pre-decisional error in failing to adequately address lay statements regarding the onset of symptoms.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for sinusitis, bronchitis, liver abscess, abdominal aorta, left and right hamstring disabilities. The Board granted an increased disability rating of 40 percent for right upper extremity radiculopathy but denied all other claims.
- Partly granted
The Board denied an initial rating higher than 70 percent for PTSD and remanded several service connection claims, including dyspnea, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, obstructive sleep apnea, low back disability, and right lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve.
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