The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted, effective October 20, 2015. The new and material evidence issue regarding bilateral hearing loss has been recharacterized to reflect the new evidentiary standard under the AMA. The left knee increased rating appeal is denied as there is no severe instability of the left knee. Service connection for Parkinson’s disease, ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus type 2, diabetic retinopathy, and peripheral neuropathy are all remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his left knee disability and PTSD. The evidence did not show severe instability of the left knee, which is required for a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Patellar subluxation of the left knee, Degenerative joint disease of the left knee, Left-hand fracture, Left knee scar
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- April 5, 2019
- Citation
- A19000262
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,035 · Granted: 30% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A19000262.
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 Veteran's right and left knee braces caused wear and tear to his clothing in the year of 2021, leading to a decision granting annual clothing allowances for both knee braces.
- Granted
The Veteran's left knee disability, including his scars and total knee arthroplasty, is rated at a maximum of 60 percent effective September 1, 2023.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings due to inconsistencies in the January 2022 VA examination reports and a need for clarification regarding the Veteran's intent when filing his Notice of Disagreement. The AOJ is directed to schedule new examinations, obtain retrospective medical opinions, and clarify the severity of the Veteran's disabilities during the relevant period on appeal.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for eligibility for specially adapted housing and special home adaptation grant was denied as he does not meet the criteria for a qualifying total service-connected disability rating or loss of use of lower extremities.
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.