The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of service connection for a right knee disability, which is now granted as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability. The current right knee degenerative joint disease (osteoarthritis) was caused or aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners concluded that the Veteran's post-service history of hard labor and various accidents, not his left knee disability, caused or contributed to the current right knee disability. However, Dr. Kreiter reached the opposite conclusion upon looking at the same evidence by concluding that the Veteran placed more stress on the right knee as a result of relieving or minimizing the symptoms of his left knee.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Knee Degenerative Joint Disease (Osteoarthritis), Left Knee Degenerative Joint Disease Status Post Total Knee Arthroplasty with Scar
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 18, 2015
- Citation
- 1511469
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 1511469.
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.
- Granted
Service connection for left knee arthritis has been granted based on new and material evidence. Service connection for right knee arthritis, as secondary to the service-connected left knee arthritis, is being remanded.,Service connection for left lower extremity peripheral vascular disease, as secondary to the service-connected left knee arthritis, is being remanded. Service connection for right lower extremity peripheral vascular disease, as secondary to the service-connected left knee arthritis, is also being remanded.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Granted
The Veteran's major depressive disorder is found to be caused by his service-connected low back and radiculopathy disabilities, which prevent him from doing enjoyable activities and daily living tasks.
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