The Veteran's ratings for his right and left knee disabilities, as well as his lumbar spine disability, were reduced. The Board found that the reductions were improper and restored the original ratings of 30% for the right knee, 20% for the left knee, and 40% for the lumbar spine. The Veteran's TDIU claim was granted.
The deciding factor: The reduction in rating was not supported by a preponderance of evidence showing improvement in the disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease (Right Knee), Degenerative Joint Disease (Left Knee), Lumbar Spine Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 27, 2019
- Citation
- 19196544
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 19196544.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
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 appeal for a higher rating for his lumbar spine disability, both before and after November 8, 2024.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability, psychiatric disorder, lumbar spine disability, hypertension, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's military service.
- Denied
The Board denied initial disability ratings in excess of 70 percent for PTSD, 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss, and 30 percent for COPD with asthma. The claims for service connection for various disabilities were remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including erectile dysfunction, lumbar spine disability, hip disabilities, restless leg syndrome, hand tremors, deviated septum, hemorrhoids, and bilateral hearing loss, due to a need for additional development of evidence.
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