The Board denied service connection for left and right knee disabilities, finding that the Veteran did not have a current disability related to his military service. The Board also found no evidence of herbicide exposure during service.,Service connection was also denied for COPD, as there is no credible evidence of herbicide exposure.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not support a nexus between the Veteran's current knee and respiratory conditions and his military service. The Board found that the STRs were silent on any complaints or treatment related to these disabilities, and that the Veteran did not have symptoms during service.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee arthritis, status post replacement, right knee arthritis, status post replacement, respiratory condition, to include COPD
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- July 8, 2020
- Citation
- 20045276
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20045276.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate compliance with previous remand directives and a need for additional medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's respiratory condition, including as secondary to his service-connected acquired psychiatric condition.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's service-connected musculoligamentous strain, right knee, is currently rated at 10 percent and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.
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