The Veteran's right ankle disability was rated at 10% prior to September 1, 2016 and increased to 20% after that date.,The Veteran's right knee instability was rated at 10% before October 12, 2019 and denied after that date.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not meet the criteria for higher ratings based on the severity of the disabilities as defined by VA rating criteria.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Ankle Degenerative Arthritis, Right Knee Instability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 23, 2020
- Citation
- 20005483
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 70% rating for PTSD from November 25, 2015 to August 12, 2024 and a 40% rating for the right shoulder disability. It also granted 10% ratings for both feet and 20% ratings for knee patellofemoral pain syndromes.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected hypertension and an earlier effective date of May 14, 2018, for radiculopathy right lower extremity. Other claims were denied.
- Partly granted
The Board denied a rating higher than 20 percent for right knee limitation of motion but granted a separate 10 percent rating, but no higher, for right knee instability.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for right knee limitation of flexion and instability, as the evidence did not support a higher rating under applicable criteria.
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