The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for residuals of a left knee injury with chondromalacia was denied. A separate 10 percent rating for left knee instability was granted, and the case is remanded for further development regarding TDIU prior to September 23, 2013.,The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his left thumb fracture remains pending. The VA examiner will assess the severity of this disability and determine if additional functional loss due to flare-ups can be quantified in terms of degrees of motion lost during such episodes.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of evidence did not support a higher rating for the left knee injury with chondromalacia, but a separate rating was granted for left knee instability. The TDIU claim prior to September 23, 2013, is remanded due to its interdependence with other claims.,The VA examiner will need to assess the severity of the Veteran's left thumb disability and determine if any associated neurological impairments are related to his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee injury with chondromalacia, left thumb fracture
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20048584
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 20048584.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating greater than 10 percent for his left thumb disability and a compensable rating for the associated scar was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support higher ratings under applicable diagnostic codes.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA examination and lack of information regarding flare-ups. The Veteran's left thumb disability, including her scar, needs further evaluation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an initial rating greater than 10 percent for his left thumb fracture is being remanded due to the inadequacy of the January 2016 VA examination report and the need for updated treatment records.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeals for various conditions, including left thumb fracture, lumbar and cervical spine conditions, right shoulder and knee conditions, ankle and foot conditions, and GERD are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.
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