The Veteran's bilateral knee disability, diagnosed as bilateral total knee replacements due to osteoarthritis, was found to be both caused or aggravated by his service-connected foot disability and related directly to incidents that occurred during active service. The appellant is now entitled to accrued benefits based on the pending claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral knee disability.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence in the claims file at the time of the Veteran's death was at least in equipoise as to whether his bilateral knee disability was caused or aggravated by his service-connected foot disability and directly incurred during service.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Knee Disability, Sensorineural Hearing Loss of Both Ears, Metatarsalgia, Tinnitus, Malaria
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 13, 2010
- Citation
- 1017797
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 1017797.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
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 bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for PTSD and dismissed his appeals regarding increased ratings for tinnitus and a right hand disability due to lack of timely filing of Notice of Disagreement.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including GAD, MDD, bruxism, migraines/headaches, tinnitus, hip pain, iliotibial band syndrome, and leg stress fractures. The evidence does not support current diagnoses of these conditions during the appeal period.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral pes planus with hammer toes, hallux valgus and degenerative arthritis, sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and bilateral kidney cysts, rendered him unable to secure or follow gainful employment. The Board granted the TDIU based on these conditions.
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