The Board denied service connection for a left knee disorder and found that the Veteran met the schedular criteria for a TDIU from December 16, 2011.
The deciding factor: The March 2015 VA opinion concluded that the Veteran's current left knee condition was not related to his service or any service-connected disability. The Board also noted that the Veteran's combined rating of 60 percent prior to December 16, 2011, and 70 percent thereafter (due to additional disabilities), met the schedular criteria for a TDIU.
- Claimed conditions
- left leg shell fragment wound, left forearm shell fragment wound, right leg shell fragment wound, right knee pseudogout/chondrocalcinosis, bilateral hearing loss, scars of the right knee, left arm, and left leg
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- February 5, 2016
- Citation
- 1604389
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 1604389.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim, specifically needing an addendum opinion from a VA examiner. The Veteran will be asked to provide any missing records and former employers' information.
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