The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral knee disability was denied in 2008 and later reopened. The new evidence does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim, so it is denied. However, the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral shoulder disability was reopened due to new evidence related to his Vietnam service. Service connection is granted for the bilateral shoulder disability.
The deciding factor: The new evidence did not provide a link between the current shoulder condition and military service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral knee osteoarthritis, chronic rotor cuff tear in the right and left shoulders
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 5, 2019
- Citation
- 19115254
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 3,319 · Granted: 25% (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 19115254.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew her appeal and hearing request for increased ratings of persistent depressive disorder, intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), bilateral sciatic nerve radiculopathy, and bilateral knee osteoarthritis.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee osteoarthritis, bilateral elbow nerve damage, and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome must be remanded due to a failure to provide a VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for bilateral knee osteoarthritis and obstructive sleep apnea due to insufficient evidence regarding whether these conditions are related to service-connected disabilities or other factors. The VA must obtain additional medical opinions addressing causation and aggravation.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral knee osteoarthritis and pain are found to have manifested during active service, meeting the criteria for service connection.
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