The Veteran's right TKR, right knee scar, left TKR (secondary to now service-connected right knee disability), low back pain (diagnosed as degenerative disc changes) and right foot drop are all granted. The effective date for the grant of SMC based on loss of use of one hand is set at December 18, 2013.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's current disabilities were related to his service-connected right knee disability and assigned an effective date based on when he first filed a claim for left wrist disability (which was later used as the basis for SMC).
- Claimed conditions
- right total knee replacement (TKR), right knee scar, left TKR, low back pain, diagnosed as degenerative disc changes, right foot drop
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 22, 2020
- Citation
- 20042333
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 20042333.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for a compensable disability rating for his service-connected right knee scar was withdrawn by the Veteran and his authorized representative.,The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to a compensable disability rating for migraine headaches, service connection for a lower back condition as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right knee condition, service connection for a right hip condition as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right knee condition, and service connection for a right lower extremity nerve condition as secondary to the Veteran's claimed lower back condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left knee disabilities, as well as his right knee scar. The RO must attempt to obtain all available private treatment records from the Tennessee Orthopedic Clinic.
- Granted
The Veteran is unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to service-connected disabilities, and a TDIU is granted.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and effective dates related to his bilateral leg conditions.,The Veteran was granted a TDIU rating as of October 6, 2011, based on his service-connected disabilities.
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