The Board dismissed the appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent prior to November 19, 2015, and in excess of 40 percent thereafter, for lumbar back strain. The claim for a higher rating for right knee degenerative joint disease (DJD) is remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran withdrew the issue of an initial rating in excess of 10 percent prior to November 19, 2015, and in excess of 40 percent thereafter, for lumbar back strain.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar back strain, right knee degenerative joint disease (DJD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 14, 2020
- Citation
- 20003186
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,199 · Granted: 25% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 20003186.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
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 remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a lack of adequate examination and opinion regarding his bilateral foot disorders, including neuropathy, and lumbar disorder. The claims will be reviewed with additional examinations and opinions.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection for various conditions have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his claims at a hearing.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected lumbar back strain, cervical spine disability, bilateral pes planus, left ankle and knee disabilities, tinnitus, and hearing loss are rated accordingly. The effective date for the grant of service connection is denied prior to December 29, 2015. A total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability (TDIU) and special monthly compensation (SMC) claims have also been denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case for further adjudication due to new and relevant evidence received, which suggests that the Veteran's right knee DJD may be secondary to his service-connected left knee DJD.
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