The Veteran's appeal for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the right ankle has been dismissed as his claim was granted in a prior rating decision. The cases for left ankle and knee degenerative arthritis, along with right knee residuals, are remanded.
The deciding factor: The RO previously granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the right ankle, which resolved the Veteran's appeal on this issue.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the right ankle, Degenerative arthritis of the left ankle, Degenerative arthritis of the left knee, Degenerative arthritis of the right knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 14, 2020
- Citation
- 20066547
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,316 · Granted: 43% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 20066547.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the right ankle, finding that the Veteran's current symptoms are related to his military service and resolving all reasonable doubt in his favor.
- Granted
The Board has determined that new evidence received after the June 2024 denial supports a finding of service connection for degenerative arthritis of the left ankle. The decision concludes that the Veteran's current disability is at least as likely as not related to his in-service injury playing softball.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the right knee is granted. The claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are denied, as well as the claim for service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to duty-to-assist errors, specifically regarding a VA medical opinion on whether the Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the right knee is related to service-connected chondromalacia and proximal patellar tendinosis of the left knee. The Board also needs another VA medical opinion addressing chronic presumptions and direct service connection.
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