The Veteran's application to reopen the previously denied claim of entitlement to service connection for a bilateral knee condition is granted. The Veteran is awarded an increased rating of 70 percent, but no higher, for his service-connected GAD and a TDIU due to GAD effective November 1, 2013.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not establish that the Veteran has a separate and distinct disorder responsible for fatigue or that any current knee disability is related to service. The Veteran's GAD was productive of occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas but did not result in total occupational and social impairment, warranting a 70 percent rating under the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Knee Condition, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- July 23, 2020
- Citation
- 20049303
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 20049303.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to failure to obtain records from Holly Hill Hospital. The Veteran was previously denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including GAD.
- Denied
The Veteran's initial rating for service-connected GAD was denied, as his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating.
- Granted
The Veteran's GAD with PDD resulted in occupational and social impairment, warranting an initial rating of 70 percent.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including GAD, MDD, bruxism, migraines/headaches, tinnitus, hip pain, iliotibial band syndrome, and leg stress fractures. The evidence does not support current diagnoses of these conditions during the appeal period.
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