The Board has granted service connection for Degenerative Joint Disease of the Left Hip, Right Hip, Left Knee, and Lumbar Spine. The decision is based on credible lay statements from the Veteran regarding his in-service injuries and their continuity since separation.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's symptoms were related to his in-service duties as a deckhand and accepted his statements as credible evidence of service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease, Left Hip, Degenerative Joint Disease, Right Hip, Left Knee Disability (including knee meniscal tear, patellofemoral pain syndrome, and degenerative joint disease), Right Knee Disability (including knee meniscal tear, patellofemoral pain syndrome, and degenerative joint disease), Degenerative Disc Disease of the Lumbar Spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 14, 2020
- Citation
- 20066321
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder due to a lack of new and relevant evidence, and remanded the claim for an increased rating for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine for further development.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a right knee disability, finding that the Veteran's pre-existing condition was aggravated during active service.
- Granted
The Board granted earlier effective dates and higher initial ratings for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, service connection for polysubstance abuse disorder secondary to a service-connected disability, and a TDIU.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for GERD and increased ratings for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy. The appeal for a compensable initial rating for COPD and scar of the left shoulder was withdrawn. Other appeals were denied.
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