The Board denied service connection for bilateral knee conditions as secondary to service-connected hallux valgus of the feet, but reopened the claim due to new and material evidence. The Veteran's current bilateral degenerative joint disease is not related to his military service or a service-connected disability.
The deciding factor: The medical opinions provided did not establish a clear link between the Veteran's bilateral knee conditions and his service-connected hallux valgus of the feet, leading to denial of service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral degenerative joint disease of the knees, hallux valgus of the bilateral feet
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 21, 2019
- Citation
- 19187566
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided that there is insufficient evidence to determine if the Veteran's bilateral knee condition was related to his military service, and thus remands the case for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for various conditions due to outstanding VA and Social Security Administration records.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral knee disabilities are not related to his military service and have denied his claim for service connection.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral degenerative joint disease of the knees is not related to his military service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.
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