Veterans’ RightsAn independent resource for veterans
← All decisions
Denied

The VA denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for his left knee scars and service connection for a lumbar and cervical spine disorder that he claimed was related to his service-connected left knee condition.

The deciding factor: The VA found no evidence of a direct relationship between the veteran's service-connected left knee disorders and his current lumbar and cervical spine issues, nor did they find any new or material evidence to reopen the claim for service connection.

Claimed conditions
left knee meniscectomy; medial and lateral meniscus; left knee posterior cruciate ligament repair; degenerative joint disease, lumbar and cervical spine disorder
How they argued it
Secondary to another service-connected condition
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
10%
Decision date
June 18, 2004
Citation
0415783

Veterans Law Judge

Gary L. Gick

Decisions by this judge: 1,175 · Granted: 22% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)

Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.

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 0415783.

What this means for you

A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.

What you can do next

Related decisions

Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.

Free starter guide for your own claim

Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.

We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.

We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.

This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.