The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee replacements, finding that there is no evidence linking his current knee disabilities to his military service.
The deciding factor: The VA treatment records showed that the Veteran underwent total knee replacements for both knees after discharge from service. There was no in-service injury or occurrence of a disease related to the Veteran's current knee disabilities and the Board did not find any credible lay statements linking the disabilities to service.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee replacement, right knee replacement
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 12, 2019
- Citation
- 19162211
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,050 · Granted: 23% (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 19162211.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran was eligible for beneficiary travel benefits to attend a VA medical appointment on March 16, 2021 due to his service-connected conditions. The Board found that the nearest available clinic provided the required care and that the Veteran's statements were credible and consistent with the evidence.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection and accrued benefits due to procedural issues, as the appeals were not within the modernized review system.
- Granted
The Veteran's right knee replacement and left shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis have been granted service connection, with the Board finding that there is at least a 50% likelihood that these conditions are related to his military service.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeal because it was not timely filed, and no good cause for delay was provided.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.