The Veteran's claim for a left knee condition was denied due to lack of evidence linking the condition to service or a service-connected disability. The claim has been reopened, and service connection is granted.,Evidence received since the denial supports the reopening of the bilateral hip disability claim. Service connection is granted as it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's bilateral hip disability is due to his right knee disability.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not establish a direct link between the left knee condition and service or a service-connected disability, leading to denial of the claim.,The new evidence indicates that the bilateral hip disability is likely secondary to the Veteran's right knee disability, supporting the reopening and granting of service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Knee Condition, Bilateral Hip Disability, Low Back Disability, Cervical Spine Disability, Acquired Psychiatric Disorder (Major Depressive Disorder)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 2, 2020
- Citation
- 20000168
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various disabilities and denied higher ratings for several service-connected conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hip, knee, and ankle disabilities due to a lack of evidence supporting an in-service injury or continuity of symptomatology. The claim for a psychiatric disorder was also denied as the Veteran's statements were found not credible.
- Denied
The Board denied the claims for service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, a low back disability, a left knee disability, and a left shoulder disability as there was no evidence to support that these conditions were incurred in or caused by the Veteran's military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for GERD, OSA, a cervical spine disability, and a thyroid disability to obtain an adequate medical opinion.
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