The Board denied service connection for right knee disability and denied entitlement to an earlier effective date for PTSD. The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for PTSD was granted, but only from September 1, 2016.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran's right knee injury in Alaska was not caused by his service-connected left knee disability and that he would have avoided the fall if not favoring his right leg due to overuse of his left knee.
- Claimed conditions
- Right knee disability, Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- November 12, 2021
- Citation
- A21018168
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 A21018168.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the (o) rate and SMC at the (r)(2) rate, effective January 19, 2025. The decision finds that the Veteran's service-connected conditions warrant these awards due to his need for aid and attendance.
- Granted
The Veteran's TDIU claim for bilateral knee disabilities and his right and left knee scars have been granted. He is now rated at a combined 60% disability rating from June 1, 2018 based on bilateral factors for his bilateral knee disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has identified a contradiction in the AOJ's determinations regarding the Veteran's need for aid and assistance, which requires clarification. The remanded issues are entitlement to SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another and on the basis of statutory housebound status.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for increased rating and earlier effective date for PTSD have been dismissed due to her withdrawal of the appeal.
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