The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection. The claims for left knee, left ankle, and right ankle conditions are remanded for further evaluation.
The deciding factor: Service connection is established for tinnitus due to in-service noise exposure. Claims for left knee, left ankle, and right ankle conditions are pending as new evidence has been submitted to reopen the previously denied claim of service connection for a left knee disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Knee Patellofemoral Syndrome, Lateral Collateral Ligament Sprain of Left Ankle, Lateral Collateral Ligament Sprain of Right Ankle
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20004790
Veterans Law Judge
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 20004790.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and has remanded his claims for initial rating determinations due to the need for additional medical opinions.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for PTSD, an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for acquired psychiatric disorder, and increased ratings for left knee patellofemoral syndrome and left lower extremity radiculopathy were denied. The Veteran's claim for a TDIU was also remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied ratings in excess of the current assigned ratings for various service-connected conditions, including major depressive disorder and musculoskeletal issues, as well as a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.
- Partly granted
The Board restored the 20 percent rating for lumbar degenerative disc disease, finding that the reduction was improper. The other claims for increased ratings were denied.
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