The Board denied service connection for left and right knee disabilities, as well as headaches secondary to tinnitus. Service connection was granted for pes planus of the left and right feet.,Service connection for a left knee disability is not warranted due to lack of in-service diagnosis or treatment.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's current bilateral knee disorders are less likely related to service, as there is no documentation of knee complaints or injuries during service. The April 2014 VA examination found that the Veteran’s bilateral knee symptoms were due to degenerative changes unrelated to military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Knee Disability, Right Knee Disability, Headaches (secondary to tinnitus), Pes Planus of the Left Foot, Pes Planus of the Right Foot
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 11, 2018
- Citation
- 18157129
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 18157129.
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: Denied
The Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities are rated at 10% each, and the Board finds that higher ratings are not warranted based on the evidence of record.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are not related to his active service, and thus denied both claims for service connection.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee disability, finding that there is no evidence to support an etiological relationship between his current condition and his military service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds no evidence of clear and unmistakable error in assigning an effective date of June 19, 2002.
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