Service connection is granted for left knee disorder, right knee disorder, and low back disorder (claimed as low back pain). Service connection is denied for thyroid disorder. The Veteran's service-connected right foot bunionectomy of the big toe with pin fixation of the second hammertoe and left foot bunion with DJD of the first metatarsophalangeal joint are not aggravated by his other service-connected conditions.,Service connection is granted for left knee disorder, right knee disorder, and low back disorder (claimed as low back pain). Service connection is denied for thyroid disorder. The Veteran's service-connected right foot bunionectomy of the big toe with pin fixation of the second hammertoe and left foot bunion with DJD of the first metatarsophalangeal joint are not aggravated by his other service-connected conditions.
The deciding factor: The evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether a current left knee disorder, right knee disorder, and low back disorder (claimed as low back pain) had their onset during or are otherwise related to the Veteran’s period of active service. The weight of the competent and probative evidence is against finding that a current thyroid disorder had its onset in or is otherwise related to his period of active service.,The evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether a current left knee disorder, right knee disorder, and low back disorder (claimed as low back pain) had their onset during or are otherwise related to the Veteran’s period of active service. The weight of the competent and probative evidence is against finding that a current thyroid disorder had its onset in or is otherwise related to his period of active service.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Knee Disorder, Right Knee Disorder, Thyroid Disorder, Low Back Disorder (claimed as low back pain), Left Foot Disorder, other than service-connected bunion with DJD of the first metatarsophalangeal joint, Right Foot Disorder, other than service-connected bunionectomy of the big toe with pin fixation of the second hammertoe
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 20, 2019
- Citation
- 19120466
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,960 · Granted: 36% (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 19120466.
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 determined that the Veteran's right knee disorder is related to his military service and grants entitlement to service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for a right knee disorder and an initial compensable rating for TBI, as new evidence was received. The effective date for service connection for TBI is being remanded.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disorder is related to his service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for right and left hip disorders due to a pre-decisional error in obtaining an adequate nexus opinion prior to the June 2021 rating decision.
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