The Board denied service connection for bilateral knee osteoarthritis, degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, left hamstring strain, and right hamstring strain as there was no evidence to support a direct relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
The deciding factor: The October 2006 VA examination report indicated that the Veteran's current knee and hamstring disorders were less likely than not related to her military service. The Board found this opinion to be more probative than the lay testimony regarding in-service injuries, as it was based on a medical professional's evaluation.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral knee osteoarthritis, degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, left hamstring strain, right hamstring strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 24, 2009
- Citation
- 0906802
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, finding that the evidence did not support a causal relationship between the Veteran's current disability and his active military service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hypertension, an increased rating for a stroke and stroke residuals, and an increased rating for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral shoulder strain, bilateral knee osteoarthritis, and bilateral foot degenerative arthritis and heel spur to obtain additional medical opinions.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and remanded the claims for service connection for various disabilities, as well as increased ratings for certain service-connected conditions.
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