The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for left knee osteoarthritis and left knee scars were denied as his conditions did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under applicable VA regulations.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of the evidence showed that the Veteran’s left knee conditions, including arthritis and scars, did not warrant a higher disability rating based on the specific diagnostic codes used to evaluate these conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee osteoarthritis, left knee scars
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 17, 2020
- Citation
- 20004258
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection, higher ratings, and earlier effective dates, as well as dismissed his claim for a TDIU.
- Granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date of October 8, 2019 for the award of a 20 percent disability rating for left knee scars.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for hypertension and remanded the claims for bilateral tinnitus, right knee osteoarthritis, and left knee osteoarthritis due to inadequate medical evidence.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral knee, bilateral shoulder, low back and bilateral hip disabilities based on the evidence showing that these conditions are related to the Veteran's active military service.
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