The Board denied an earlier effective date for the award of a 10 percent rating for low back syndrome, as the Veteran's claim was filed within one year of his discharge from active duty.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claim for increase on May 21, 1979, was filed within one year of his separation from service in May 16, 1979. The effective date is assigned as the day following his separation from service.
- Claimed conditions
- Low back syndrome, Chondromalacia of the right knee, Status post left knee reconstruction
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 6, 2020
- Citation
- 20031928
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 20031928.
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 denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left knee disabilities, except that it granted a 10 percent rating for instability of the right knee prior to September 28, 2018, and a 20 percent rating from that date. The Board also granted a 10 percent rating for instability of the left knee.
- Granted
The Board has granted an effective date of August 6, 2014 for the award of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) and eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA). The decision is based on evidence showing that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to this date.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right and left knee disabilities due to insufficient information regarding the severity of his knee conditions during flare-ups.
- Denied
The Veteran's left and right knee disabilities are currently rated at 10 percent each, with separate ratings of 10 percent for left knee instability. The appeal is denied as the criteria for higher ratings have not been met.
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