The Veteran's claim for an annual clothing allowance was denied as his right knee braces and skin cream did not cause wear or tear to his clothing, nor did the use of a cane. The evidence does not support the Veteran's assertions that his clothes were ruined by these items.
The deciding factor: The VAMC's Orthotic and Prosthetics Lab Chief determined that none of the Veteran's required treatment tended to wear or tear his clothing, and that the skin cream did not cause irreparable damage to his outer garments.
- Claimed conditions
- right knee degenerative joint disease, right knee chondromalacia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 4, 2015
- Citation
- 1538056
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 1538056.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for right knee degenerative joint disease, including secondary to a service-connected left knee disability, is granted. The condition was not related to military service and no aggravation by the service-connected left knee disability could be established.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for earlier effective dates and compensable ratings for left knee tendonitis and right knee chondromalacia have been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal in January 2025.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and has remanded the claims for hypertension, left knee disability, and right knee disability due to duty to assist errors.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals were withdrawn, and his claims for increased ratings and service connection were dismissed. The Board found no evidence of ankylosis or other disabling conditions that would warrant higher ratings.
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