The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to January 17, 2016, and July 12, 2013, for service connection and increased ratings were denied as there was no evidence of a factual increase in disability within one year before the date of her claim.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not provide sufficient evidence to show that her left knee disability had worsened within one year prior to filing her claims for an earlier effective date.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Knee Condition, Degenerative Joint Disease of Left Knee, Left Knee Instability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- September 9, 2019
- Citation
- 19169833
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 19169833.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities have been rated and denied for increased ratings, with some conditions receiving specific disability ratings. The Veteran is granted a 60% rating for her total right knee replacement from September 4, 2015 onwards, but the other claims are denied.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee conditions, finding that the Veteran's current knee conditions are more likely than not related to his military service.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been remanded due to insufficient evidence. The Board will consider all submitted evidence, including any new evidence provided by the Veteran.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the most recent rating decision on the merits, issued in October 2024, requires correction due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors. The claim for service connection for a right knee condition is being remanded.
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