The veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral knee disorders was reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The Board found that his early post-traumatic arthritis of the knees is causally related to an injury sustained in service.,PTSD has been granted with a 50 percent rating effective December 15, 1997. The veteran's fibromyalgia was initially rated at 10 percent from September 7, 1999 to August 21, 2000 and then increased to 20 percent starting from August 22, 2000.,The veteran's hiatal hernia with acid reflux disease has been rated at 10 percent since October 18, 1999.
The deciding factor: The new and material evidence demonstrated that the veteran sustained an injury to his knees in service which resulted in early post-traumatic arthritis of the knees. The Board found this condition is causally related to the injury he sustained.,PTSD was granted with a 50 percent rating effective December 15, 1997 based on the severity and impact it had on the veteran's occupational and social functioning.,The medical evidence showed that the veteran's fibromyalgia symptoms were nearly constant and refractory to therapy from August 22, 2000 onwards. The condition was rated at 10 percent prior to this date due to its episodic nature.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral knee disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), fibromyalgia, hiatal hernia with acid reflux disease
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- September 13, 2002
- Citation
- 0211927
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 0211927.
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
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