The veteran's service-connected bilateral knee disabilities do not warrant ratings in excess of 20 percent and 10 percent, respectively. Service connection was granted for an adjustment disorder with depressed mood as secondary to the service-connected bilateral knee disabilities.
The deciding factor: The evidence is in equipoise as to whether the veteran's adjustment disorder with depressed mood is proximately due to or the result of his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Residuals of left knee injury with patella fracture, Residuals of right knee injury, Adjustment disorder with depressed mood
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 8, 2009
- Citation
- 0900826
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,020 · Granted: 19% (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 0900826.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence linking his current mental health conditions to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's initial ratings for major depressive disorder and adjustment disorder with depressed mood have been granted at a 50 percent rating, effective September 3, 2024. The Board has now determined that the criteria for an initial 70 percent rating are met from this date.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and adjustment disorder with depressed mood, was denied as there is no verified stressor or corroborated in-service events to support the claimed conditions.
- Granted
The Board found that the appellant's misconduct was mitigated by his combat-related experiences and mental health symptoms, leading to a decision granting VA benefits despite his bad conduct discharge.
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.