The appeals for service connection for a spine condition, bilateral hip condition, left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, right knee disability with limitation of motion, and right knee instability have been dismissed due to the absence of an adequate substantive appeal. The petition to reopen the previously denied claim for service connection for psychiatric disability has been granted. The appeals for service connection for a psychiatric disability (claimed as depression) and headaches are remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not file an adequate substantive appeal for several issues, leading to their dismissal. The petition to reopen the previously denied claim for service connection for psychiatric disability was granted due to new evidence received after the expiration of the appeal period. The appeals for service connection for a psychiatric disability and headaches are remanded as they are inextricably intertwined with the service connection for psychiatric disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Spine condition, Bilateral hip condition, Left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, Right knee disability with limitation of motion, Right knee instability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 9, 2019
- Citation
- 19127379
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,902 · Granted: 11% (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 19127379.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's right knee disability, including limitation of extension and flexion, instability, and meniscus condition, is now rated at 20 percent effective March 7, 2020.
- Granted
The Veteran's right knee disability, including limitation of extension and flexion, instability, and meniscus condition, is now rated at 20 percent effective March 7, 2020.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating of his low back, right knee, and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome disabilities due to a duty to assist error. The VA examinations were inadequate as they did not consider the Veteran's lay statements regarding flare-ups and functional loss/impairment.
- Granted
The Board has granted effective dates of June 17, 2010 for service connection and separate ratings for right knee instability and left knee instability.
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