The Veteran's service-connected mood disorder with depressed features, chondromalacia patella of the right knee, and other conditions have prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected mental health condition and physical disability have significantly impacted his ability to work due to symptoms such as panic attacks, memory impairment, motivation issues, and stress management difficulties.
- Claimed conditions
- mood disorder with depressed features, chondromalacia patella of the right knee, noncompensable erectile dysfunction, noncompensable scar associated with chondromalacia patella
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- August 24, 2018
- Citation
- 18129192
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 18129192.
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
The Board has granted service connection for left knee strain and chondromalacia patella of the right knee, finding that these conditions were aggravated during active service.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and an increased initial rating of 30 percent for gastroesophageal reflux disease with eosinophilic esophagitis, while denying increased ratings for chondromalacia patella of the left and right knees, a compensable rating for three surgical scars on the left lower extremity, major depressive disorder with anxious distress, and headaches. The Board also remanded several claims for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the cases for further review due to inadequate prior examinations and the need for a new evaluation of the Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional VA examinations and addendum opinions regarding the Veteran's service-connected knee and back disabilities, as well as the qualifications of the November 2023 examiner.
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