The Veteran's service connection claims for left knee ligament tear and left leg numbness have been denied. The claim for a higher rating for lumbar strain has also been denied, but the Veteran is now receiving a 30 percent rating for irritable bowel syndrome.,Service connection was not granted as there is no evidence of current disability related to service or secondary to service-connected conditions.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not support a current diagnosis of left knee ligament tear, and the Veteran's lay opinion regarding this condition is not credible. The claim for left leg numbness was denied as there is no established connection between the condition and service or any service-connected disability.,For lumbar strain, the VA examiner found that the Veteran had pain but no limitation in range of motion. The Board agreed with the examiner's assessment, finding that the Veteran’s symptoms were not severe enough to warrant a higher rating under the applicable criteria.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Knee Ligament Tear, Left Leg Numbness, Lumbar Strain, Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 24, 2018
- Citation
- 18144339
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 18144339.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of rationale in the VA examiner's opinion and an inconsistency between the examination report and nexus opinion.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's irritable bowel syndrome is granted a rating of 30 percent, the maximum schedular rating under Diagnostic Code 7319. Service connection for migraine headaches as secondary to service connected tinnitus and PTSD is also granted.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's generalized anxiety disorder, hearing loss, and tinnitus are all granted service connection.,Service connection for GERD is also granted as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected generalized anxiety disorder.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date of May 19, 2024, for a separate 10 percent rating for GERD. The decision states that prior to this date, ratings for GERD and Irritable Bowel Syndrome could not be combined due to VA regulations at the time.
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