The Veteran's petition to reopen the claim for service connection for TBI was granted, and he is now entitled to a grant of service connection. His left knee disability remains rated at 20 percent. The increased rating claim for his left knee disability was denied. Service connection claims for depression secondary to TBI, right knee patellar tendon rupture as secondary to service-connected left knee disability and/or TBI, and bilateral hearing loss were all remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's TBI is related to an in-service car accident, which the Board found not to be due to misconduct. The VA examiner opined that his current TBI disability is related to his service-connected left knee disability. For the left knee disability, the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic code.
- Claimed conditions
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Left Knee Disability, Depression, Right Knee Patellar Tendon Rupture, Bilateral Hearing Loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- July 27, 2023
- Citation
- 23041293
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 23041293.
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.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient findings regarding PTSD and depression, requiring a new VA examination.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
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