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
- Not verified here — check the original 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 indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19162211.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeal because it was not timely filed, and no good cause for delay was provided.
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