The Board denied the Veteran's claims for clothing allowances related to his right knee brace and wheelchair, finding that neither caused significant wear and tear to his clothing.
The deciding factor: The VA certifying official found that the Veteran’s statements about wear and tear were not specific enough to outweigh their findings based on medical records and other evidence.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of partial meniscotomy with right knee degenerative joint disease, residual of chip fracture in the left medial malleolus with posttraumatic arthritis, scars of the right knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 18, 2019
- Citation
- 19186638
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 Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left and right knee conditions, as well as a compensable rating for scars of the right knee.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him bedridden, confined to his immediate premises, or unable to care for his daily needs without requiring the regular aid and attendance of another person. Therefore, he is not eligible for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on need for aid and attendance or housebound status.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) effective August 15, 2012.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's service-connected right knee disabilities, including arthroscopic surgery, instability, and scars, are being remanded for further evaluation due to the need for updated VA treatment records and a new examination.
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