The Veteran's intervertebral disc syndrome, right knee degenerative joint disease, left knee limitation of flexion, right ankle limitation of dorsiflexion, and left ankle osteoarthritis are all found to have begun during combat service in Vietnam. The Veteran is granted service connection for these conditions.
The deciding factor: The Board presumed the occurrence of injuries sustained during combat service due to the circumstances, conditions, or hardships of such service and found that the Veteran's current diagnoses were consistent with his reported onset during combat service.
- Claimed conditions
- intervertebral disc syndrome, right knee degenerative joint disease, residuals of left knee injury, residuals of right ankle injury, left ankle osteoarthritis
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- August 29, 2019
- Citation
- 19166975
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 19166975.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date of September 27, 2023, for the award of service connection for left ankle osteoarthritis and remanded a claim for a higher disability evaluation.
- Partly granted
The Board denied earlier effective dates for the award of service connection and denied increased ratings for various disabilities, but granted a separate rating for left upper extremity radiculopathy from October 20, 2020.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, back disability, bilateral achilles tendonitis, gout, diabetes mellitus, type 2 (DMII), obstructive sleep apnea, and an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include anxiety and depression. The Board denied increased ratings for right and left knee degenerative joint disease, separate ratings for instability of the knees, a separate rating for residuals of a right knee meniscectomy, and service connection for bilateral leg pain, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), chronic sinus disability, respiratory disability due to exposure to asbestos, heart murmur, irregular heartbeat, and seizures.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for increased ratings for right knee subluxation and degenerative joint disease due to an inadequate addendum opinion.
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