The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral knee osteoarthritis and instability, likely preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation as of August 30, 2018. Prior to this date, the disabilities did not prevent employment.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s bilateral knee disabilities, particularly his right knee replacement surgery in 2018, significantly impacted his ability to perform work-related tasks and led to a finding that he is unemployable as of August 30, 2018.
- Claimed conditions
- Anxiety Disorder, Depressive Disorder, Alcohol Use Disorder, Left Knee Osteoarthritis, Right Knee Osteoarthritis, Right Knee Dislocated Semilunar Cartilage, Left Knee Dislocated Semilunar Cartilage, Instability of the Right Knee, Instability of the Left Knee, Limitation of Extension of the Left Knee, Limitation of Extension of the Right Knee, Osteoarthritis of the Bilateral Knees, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- March 10, 2021
- Citation
- 21013916
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 21013916.
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.
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- Denied
The Board denied eligibility to attorney fees based on past-due benefits awarded in a March 2024 rating decision because the March 2024 rating decision was an initial decision granting service connection for anxiety disorder.
- Granted
The Veteran's psychiatric disorder, specifically depressive disorder, is rated at 70 percent effective from August 3, 2021. The claim for a higher rating remains denied.
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