The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right knee and middle finger disabilities were denied. The Board found that the current evaluations adequately reflected the severity of his conditions.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show ankylosis or other factors warranting higher evaluations under relevant diagnostic codes.
- Claimed conditions
- Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tear of Right Knee, Degenerative Joint Disease of Right Knee, Right Middle Finger Fracture
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 10, 2016
- Citation
- 1605162
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 1605162.
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 right knee condition is rated at 20 percent disabling, effective August 31, 2022.,The Veteran's scars are currently rated at 20 percent disabling, also effective August 31, 2022.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee condition, finding that it is secondary to her service-connected left knee disability. The evidence shows that the Veteran injured both knees in 1999 and continued to experience pain despite treatment.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on a need for aid and attendance due to service-connected disabilities, which includes PTSD, diabetes, hearing loss, and other conditions.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD is granted with a disability rating of 70 percent, effective October 17, 2017. Service connection for Degenerative Joint Disease of Right Knee and Left Knee is also granted.
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