The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU were denied. The left knee strain with osteoarthritis was rated at 10 percent, right knee synovitis with chondromalacia of patella at 10 percent, and the bilateral hearing loss at a compensable rating prior to December 2, 2015, and in excess of 20 percent thereafter. The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied as his service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
The deciding factor: The evidence showed that the Veteran’s left knee strain with osteoarthritis and right knee synovitis with chondromalacia of patella were rated at 10 percent, which was the maximum schedular rating available under the applicable diagnostic codes. The hearing loss was also rated as a compensable level prior to December 2, 2015, and in excess of 20 percent thereafter.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Knee Strain with Osteoarthritis, Right Knee Synovitis with Chondromalacia of Patella
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 29, 2020
- Citation
- 20070137
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,676 · Granted: 24% (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 20070137.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities are rated based on limitation of motion, with the right knee receiving separate ratings for flexion and extension issues. The left knee is rated solely for loss of extension.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left knee and right knee disabilities, as well as a TDIU prior to December 28, 2011, are being remanded due to the need for additional development.,Specifically, the Veteran needs an updated VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected right and left knee disabilities under both the former and revised rating criteria.
- Denied
The Board denied the appellant's request for an extension of his delimiting date beyond March 27, 2009 due to lack of medical evidence showing that his service-connected left knee disability prevented him from initiating or completing educational programs prior to his delimiting date.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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