The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral knee disability as secondary to his service-connected right foot disability and an increased evaluation for his right foot disability. The evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran’s current bilateral knee disability was incurred in service, is otherwise related to service, or secondary to his service-connected right foot disability.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner opined that it is less likely than not that the Veteran's bilateral knee condition is due to or a result of his right foot disability. The Board found that the evidence did not show the severity required for a higher rating under DC 5284 based on the relevant symptomatology and impairment.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral knee degenerative joint disease
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- June 13, 2019
- Citation
- 19146020
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for various conditions was dismissed as there was no decision in the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA) system to appeal at the time of the request.
- Partly granted
The Veteran was granted SMC based on aid and attendance, but denied SMC based on housebound status. The Veteran's specially adapted housing claim was also granted, while his claims for a special home adaptation grant and an allowance for an automobile or other conveyance were denied.
- Partly granted
The veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on aid and attendance. The claim for SMC at the housebound rate is dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors, including a lack of records search for Agent Orange exposure in Korea and SSA disability benefits records.
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