The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including bilateral knee chondrocalcinosis and peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, were not found to be causally related to his active military service. The Board denied claims for service connection based on direct evidence and denied all other issues due to lack of a probative nexus between current disabilities and service.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran's current bilateral knee condition or peripheral neuropathy were caused by his in-service right knee injury, as there was no indication of such conditions until years after separation from service. The Board also found no presumptive basis for service connection due to lack of diagnosis within one year of discharge.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Chondrocalcinosis (claimed as left and right knee condition), Peripheral neuropathy of bilateral upper extremities, Left inguinal hernia, Right inguinal hernia, Coronary artery disease (CAD), Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 13, 2019
- Citation
- 19145504
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,963 · Granted: 32% (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 19145504.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for SMC based on aid and attendance from June 1, 2011, to May 24, 2017, finding that his need for regular aid and attendance was not established during this period.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's current coronary artery disease with acute, subacute, or old myocardial infarction with coronary stent is being remanded for further evaluation due to the lack of a medical nexus between his service-connected hypertension and his heart condition.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the (o) rate and SMC at the (r)(2) rate, effective January 19, 2025. The decision finds that the Veteran's service-connected conditions warrant these awards due to his need for aid and attendance.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has identified a contradiction in the AOJ's determinations regarding the Veteran's need for aid and assistance, which requires clarification. The remanded issues are entitlement to SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another and on the basis of statutory housebound status.
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