The Board has granted service connection for treatment purposes only under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 17 for right and left knee disabilities, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depressive disorder, and alcohol use disorder based on the appellant's credible lay statements of in-service injuries and current symptoms.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the evidence was at least evenly balanced as to whether the current knee disabilities are related to service due to the appellant's participation in parachute jumps and landing hard during night operations. The PTSD, depressive disorder, and alcohol use disorder were also linked to combat stressors experienced by the appellant.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Knee Disability, Left Knee Disability, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Depressive Disorder, Alcohol Use Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 3, 2021
- Citation
- A21017753
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 A21017753.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities are rated at 10% each, and the Board finds that higher ratings are not warranted based on the evidence of record.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50% since March 23, 2004. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted prior to February 15, 2005 due to the severity of his symptoms and their impact on his social and occupational functioning.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and any acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current mental health conditions and his military service.
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