The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for bilateral knee disabilities and major depressive disorder were denied. The RO found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of the currently assigned disability ratings.
The deciding factor: The VA medical examinations and treatment records did not provide sufficient evidence to warrant an increased rating for any of the conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Knee Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD), Left Knee DJD, Left Knee Medial Meniscal Injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 29, 2012
- Citation
- 1218803
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 1218803.
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 Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing (SAH) or special home adaptation (SHA) grant due to his respiratory disability, which is presumed by the PACT Act. The Board found that the Veteran does not have a permanent and total disability resulting in anatomical loss of use of both hands, burns, or residuals of an inhalational injury.
- Granted
The Veteran's right knee DJD limitation of extension is rated at 30 percent, and his right knee instability is rated at 20 percent from April 17, 2017. The higher rating for the instability was granted.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right knee DJD and instability prior to December 19, 2023, and on or after that date have been denied. The RO found the evidence did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent prior to December 19, 2023, and in excess of 50 percent thereafter.
- Granted
The Board has granted an earlier effective date of July 12, 2017 for the grant of service connection for right knee instability. The Veteran's claim was initially denied in August 2017 but new and material evidence was submitted within a year, leading to a separate rating for right knee instability.
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