The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities clearly and unmistakably existed prior to service and did not permanently increase in severity during his period of service.
The deciding factor: Based on the evidence of record, the Board finds clear and unmistakable evidence that the bilateral knee disability preexisted the veteran's entrance to service and was not aggravated therein.
- Claimed conditions
- right knee ligament strain, left knee ligament strain
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 9, 2009
- Citation
- 0908598
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,645 · 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 0908598.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error, specifically the need for an updated VA examination regarding his bilateral knee conditions.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) secondary to the Veteran's service-connected musculoskeletal disabilities on a causation basis, with obesity as an intermediate step.
- Granted
The Veteran's headache disability is found to be aggravated by his service-connected disabilities, and the Board grants service connection for headaches as secondary to these conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for left shoulder condition, bilateral knee conditions, chronic fatigue syndrome, rhinitis, respiratory condition, sleep apnea, and migraine headaches.,There is no evidence linking the Veteran's current disabilities to his active duty service.
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.