The Board has restored a 60% rating for the Veteran's service-connected right knee ankylosis from April 1, 2010 to April 10, 2019. From April 11, 2019 onwards, the Veteran already had this rating and it is the maximum allowed.
The deciding factor: The reduction in rating was improper as there was no evidence of actual improvement in the Veteran's right knee ankylosis that would be maintained under ordinary conditions of life.
- Claimed conditions
- right knee ankylosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- January 16, 2020
- Citation
- 20004127
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 chronic rhinitis, allergic or non-allergic and urinary incontinence (loss of bladder control) as there was insufficient evidence to establish a causal link between the claimed conditions and the Veteran's military service. The remaining claims were remanded for further development.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 30 percent rating for right and left knee instability from August 15, 2022 to January 28, 2025, a 50 percent rating for right knee ankylosis from January 28, 2025, and a 60 percent rating for left knee ankylosis from January 28, 2025. The claim for a higher disability rating for left knee limitation of extension prior to January 28, 2025 was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various claimed disabilities, including right and left knee replacements, ankle sprains, neck strain, lumbosacral strain, rotator cuff tear, shoulder dislocation, and sleep apnea, as the evidence did not support a finding of a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
- Partly granted
The Board denied several claims for increased ratings and granted some, including a 20% rating for right ankle arthritis from April 2, 2022, and separate 30% ratings for left and right knee ankylosis starting May 23, 2022.
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