Effective October 1, 2014, the Veteran was granted service connection for right and left knee injuries (patellar/quadriceps tendon ruptures), bilateral knee scars, and an anxiety disorder. Effective October 1, 2014, he also received separate 10% ratings for right and left knee instability.,The Veteran's hypertension claim is remanded as there are no prior unadjudicated claims.
The deciding factor: Effective date of the service connection awards was determined based on the date of receipt of the claim, October 30, 2014. The effective dates for the separate ratings were assigned based on when the Veteran's symptoms and diagnoses were first noted.,The hypertension claim is remanded as there are no prior unadjudicated claims.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee patellar/quadriceps tendon rupture, right knee patellar/quadriceps tendon rupture, bilateral knee scars, anxiety disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- February 6, 2020
- Citation
- 20009831
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 20009831.
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 Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and increased rating for anxiety disorder have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for hypertension, and the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection. The Board found the VA audiological examination inadequate for adjudicative purposes and remanded for an adequate VA audiological examination to determine if the Veteran has bilateral hearing loss. Service connection for PTSD, anxiety disorder, and depression is also remanded as there are insufficient competent medical evidence on file.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition, specifically anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder, which is found to be due to military sexual trauma experienced during service. The decision also notes that the Veteran's reports of in-service personal assault are credible and supported by medical opinions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, anxiety disorder, back disability, left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, and right knee disability. The claim for service connection for residuals of a concussion is remanded.
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