The Veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation prior to November 7, 2019, for service-connected surgical scars, right and left knees, is denied.,A compensable rating of 20 percent, beginning November 7, 2019, for service-connected surgical scar, right and left knees, is granted.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings exceeding 60 percent for his service-connected status post total left knee replacement and status post total right knee replacement are remanded.,The Veteran's claim for a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities is also remanded.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of the evidence does not support a compensable evaluation prior to November 7, 2019, for the Veteran’s surgical scars, right and left knees.,A 20 percent rating is granted beginning November 7, 2019, based on three painful scars related to his service-connected knee disabilities.,The February 2017 VA examination did not comply with the requirements in Sharp v. Shulkin for assessing functional loss due to flare-ups and additional range-of-motion loss.,The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities warrant remand as there is insufficient evidence regarding their current severity.
- Claimed conditions
- surgical scars, right and left knees
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 20, 2020
- Citation
- 20048238
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 20048238.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
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