The Board has determined that an effective date earlier than August 23, 1997, for the grant of a 30 percent evaluation for service-connected left knee disability is not warranted.
The deciding factor: There was no claim filed within one year prior to June 11, 1998, when the veteran called in an informal claim for increase. The earliest date on which it was factually ascertainable that an increase occurred was November 29, 1996.
- Claimed conditions
- postoperative residuals of a left knee injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- September 24, 2004
- Citation
- 0426703
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 0426703.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including postoperative residuals of a left knee injury, traumatic arthritis of the left knee, and degenerative joint disease of the right knee, were found to be contributory causes of his death. As such, service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and VA treatment records. He will also undergo VA examinations to evaluate his left knee and left middle finger disabilities.
- Denied
The Veteran's application for vocational rehabilitation and training under Chapter 31, Title 38, United States Code was denied because it was determined that achieving a vocational goal was not reasonably feasible due to his service-connected and nonservice-connected disabilities preventing him from successfully pursuing employment.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations. The Veteran's claims of increased ratings for his left knee disability and right hand fractures are being reviewed.
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