The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral knee disorder did not have its clinical onset in service and is not otherwise related to active duty. The disability was not due to an undiagnosed illness, nor was it exhibited within the first post-service year.
The deciding factor: There were no complaints or diagnoses of a knee disorder during the Veteran's initial period of active service, and his STRs showed him in good health with no joint issues. His symptoms are not attributable to any known clinical diagnosis.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Knee Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 26, 2016
- Citation
- 1616618
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 1616618.
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 Board has denied service connection for right shoulder disorder, low back disorder, and bilateral knee disorders as these conditions are not shown to be related to military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including PTSD and multiple orthopedic disabilities, have rendered her unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment since March 6, 2013.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for vertigo/Meniere's disease and remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, bilateral flatfeet, and a bilateral knee disorder for readjudication with new evidence.
- Granted
The Board granted earlier effective dates of February 1, 2021, for the awards of service connection and secondary service connection for various disabilities.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.