The Board has determined that the Veteran's right and left knee osteoarthritis are not related to service, including herbicide exposure or an in-service lightning strike. The claims for these conditions are therefore denied.,The Veteran's GERD is also not related to service, specifically his presumed herbicide exposure. The claim for this condition is remanded for further clarification.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations and post-service treatment records indicate that the Veteran’s arthritis was first diagnosed decades after service separation, making it unlikely that it is directly related to service.,While the Veteran's GERD may be related to his presumed herbicide exposure, the VA examiner did not address whether it was caused or aggravated by any other conditions he served with. Therefore, a remand for an addendum opinion is necessary.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Knee Osteoarthritis, Left Knee Osteoarthritis, Lightning Strike Residuals, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disorder (GERD), Psychiatric Disability, Right Ankle Disorder, Cataracts, Discoid Lupus, Skin Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 30, 2021
- Citation
- 21026323
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 21026323.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for his awards of ratings for right and left knee osteoarthritis based on limitation of extension. The evidence did not show a compensable limitation of extension prior to February 6, 2025.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for right and left knee disabilities, finding that the current conditions are not related to service due to lack of evidence of a chronic condition during service or post-service continuity.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for his right knee disability is remanded due to the need for additional medical evidence and consideration of medication effects.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including right knee disability, bilateral hearing loss, left knee osteoarthritis, and tinnitus, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU effective February 23, 2024.
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