The Board has dismissed the appeal of the RO's April 2003 decision assigning a 10 percent disability rating for arthritis of the left knee, as no substantive appeal was filed within the required time period. The veteran also abandoned his claim of entitlement to service connection for a left knee meniscal tear.
The deciding factor: The veteran did not file a timely Notice of Disagreement or Substantive Appeal regarding the increased rating issue and has failed to perfect an appeal on the issue of service connection for a left knee meniscal tear. The Board dismissed both issues due to lack of jurisdiction.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee arthritis, left knee meniscal tear
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 17, 2005
- Citation
- 0504555
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 0504555.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for a left knee meniscal tear and denied his request for an increased rating for left knee laxity.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew her appeal regarding the service connection for left and right knee arthritis, thus the appeal is dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the reduction of the Veteran's rating for left knee meniscal tear from 20 percent to 10 percent was improper and restored the original 20 percent rating. The right knee disability and low back disorder issues are remanded.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and dismissed all other appeals related to various joint conditions.
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.