The Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee disorder, which was previously denied due to lack of evidence showing an increase in disability during service and no link between the condition and his right ankle fracture, has been reopened. The Board found that there is clear and unmistakable evidence that the left knee condition did not worsen during service and concluded that it is not secondary to his service-connected right ankle fracture.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's pre-existing left knee condition was noted at entry into service and no increase in disability occurred during service. The examiner opined that the current left knee disorder clearly and unmistakably existed prior to service and was not aggravated by any event or illness, including his service-connected right ankle fracture.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee disorder, meniscal tear, degenerative arthritis
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 10, 2020
- Citation
- 20072518
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,011 · 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 20072518.
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
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Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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The Veteran's service connection claims for lumbosacral strain, asthma, melasma and hydradenitis, hypertension, an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as depression, anxiety, and stress), left shoulder disorder, right shoulder disorder, left knee disorder, a left foot disorder, and IBS have been granted. The remaining issues are remanded.
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