The Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee disabilities cause functional impairments that preclude unassisted balance and propulsion to such degree that the Veteran would be equally well served by use of suitable prosthetic appliance at the knee level, resulting in a finding of loss of use of both lower extremities at the knee level.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities cause significant functional impairments, including instability, pain, stiffness, and locking, which result in the need for assistive devices such as braces and canes. These impairments are considered equivalent to a person who has undergone bilateral amputations at the knee level with suitable prosthetic devices.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral knee disabilities, non-service connected lower extremity neurological impairments
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- June 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19142698
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,077 · 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 19142698.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeal for entitlement to TDIU and denied his claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, back strain, bilateral knee disabilities, and bilateral ankle disabilities. The claims of service connection for these conditions are remanded due to a duty-to-assist error.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral knee disabilities are granted as service-connected. The Board found that the Veteran had an onset of these conditions during active service with continuity of symptomatology thereafter.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left shoulder disability, bilateral ankle disabilities, and bilateral knee disabilities due to new and relevant evidence submitted since the last denial. Service connection is also granted for gastritis (gastrointestinal condition) and cyst scrotum on the right side.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, bilateral knee and shoulder disabilities are found to have caused his sleep apnea through the aggravation of obesity. Service connection for sleep apnea is granted as secondary to these conditions.
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