The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims and granted service connection for a left knee disability and low back disability, both found to be proximately due to his service-connected right knee disability.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that new evidence supported a finding of a nexus between the Veteran's current disabilities and his service-connected right knee disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Knee Meniscus Tear, Degenerative Arthritis (Back), Degenerative Disc Disease (Back)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 30, 2024
- Citation
- 24004616
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,549 · Granted: 26% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 24004616.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected right knee scar does not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating under Diagnostic Code 7802. The VA examinations did not adequately address functional loss due to pain, resulting in insufficient evidence for a decision on the increased initial disability rating for degenerative disc disease.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings were denied, with the exception of a separate rating granted for a left knee meniscus tear and meniscectomy surgery. The appeal was also remanded for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's left knee disability, including a meniscectomy and arthritis, is rated at 10% under Diagnostic Codes 5259-5260. The Board has remanded the issues regarding secondary service connection for right hip and left hip disabilities as well as entitlement to service connection for a right knee disability.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities, specifically the left and right meniscus tears, have been rated at 20 percent each since September 13, 2011. The ratings are based on their direct service connection without any presumption or secondary linkage to a previously service-connected condition.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.