The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the Veteran's back disability was not incurred in or due to his time in service, nor is it proximately due to any of his service-connected disabilities. For his left knee disability, the rating assigned did not meet the criteria for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent. His residuals of a gunshot wound were rated appropriately under DC 5311. The Veteran's left and right hip disabilities were also rated appropriately under DCs 5003-5251.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the evidence did not support service connection for the Veteran's back disability, as there was no in-service injury or incident linked to his current condition. The left knee disability and right hip disabilities were also rated appropriately under their respective diagnostic codes. The Veteran's left hip disability had occasional incapacitating exacerbations but did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Back Disability, Left Knee Disability, Residuals of a gunshot wound, right muscle group XI, Left Hip Disability (to include arthritis and limitation of extension), Right Hip Disability (to include arthritis and limitation of extension)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 8, 2021
- Citation
- 21041112
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 21041112.
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.
- 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 Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are not related to his active service, and thus denied both claims for service connection.
- Denied
The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds no evidence of clear and unmistakable error in assigning an effective date of June 19, 2002.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his low back, left knee, and right knee disabilities due to inadequate VA examinations. The AOJ is instructed to obtain private treatment records from Mays & Schnapp Pain Management and schedule the Veteran for additional medical examinations.
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