The Veteran was granted service connection for several conditions, including lumbar spine disability and right and left knee disabilities, with an initial rating of 20% for the lumbar spine condition. The claims for chronic kidney disease and high cholesterol were denied.
The deciding factor: Reasonable doubt was resolved in favor of the Veteran regarding the etiology of his bilateral knee and hip conditions as well as diabetes and hypertension due to their service at Camp Lejeune, but not for chronic kidney disease or high cholesterol.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar strain with degenerative arthritis, spinal stenosis, and Intervertebral Disc Syndrome (IVDS), right knee meniscal tear and osteoarthritis, left knee chondromalacia and osteoarthritis, right hip trochanteric pain syndrome, left hip trochanteric pain syndrome, diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, high cholesterol
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- January 8, 2024
- Citation
- 24001241
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for headaches and increased ratings for left shoulder rotator cuff tear, right shoulder rotator cuff tear, hypertension, and left and right leg restless leg syndrome. The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder.
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