The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeal regarding an earlier effective date for PTSD and denied his claims for increased ratings for knee disabilities. The Veteran was granted service connection for PTSD in 2011, but did not timely file a notice of disagreement with the assigned effective date. His knees were found to have degenerative joint disease without ankylosis or additional symptoms due to removal of semilunar cartilage, and instability without ankylosis or additional symptoms.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date was a freestanding claim prohibited by law (Rudd v. Nicholson, 20 Vet. App. 296 (2006)) and dismissed it as such.
- Claimed conditions
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Left Knee Degenerative Joint Disease, Right Knee Degenerative Joint Disease, Left Knee Instability, Right Knee Instability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 30, 2020
- Citation
- 20070559
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,050 · Granted: 23% (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 20070559.
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities have been rated and denied for increased ratings, with some conditions receiving specific disability ratings. The Veteran is granted a 60% rating for her total right knee replacement from September 4, 2015 onwards, but the other claims are denied.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to December 27, 2019 for the grant of service connection for PTSD was denied as there is no earlier claim document in the claims file and the Veteran did not timely perfect an appeal.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD is granted as a result of military sexual trauma (MST) that occurred during service. The Board found the Veteran's testimony and supporting evidence credible, including her VA and private treatment records.
- Granted
The Veteran's cervical spine disability, right knee strain (painful motion), and right knee instability are now rated at 30 percent effective August 16, 2017.
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