The veteran was granted initial ratings for right and left knee strain, including meniscal tear and degenerative arthritis, based on dislocated cartilage. The veteran was also granted an initial rating for right shoulder strain with degenerative arthritis. However, the request for a higher rating for the right shoulder strain and residuals of total knee replacements were remanded.
The deciding factor: The decision was based on the Veteran's medical history, diagnosis, and demonstrated symptomatology.
- Claimed conditions
- right knee strain, to include meniscal tear and degenerative arthritis, left knee strain, to include meniscal tear and degenerative arthritis, right shoulder strain with degenerative arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 15, 2025
- Citation
- 25000549
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 291 · 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 25000549.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied an initial disability rating in excess of 20 percent for left and right shoulder strain with degenerative arthritis.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple conditions, including right and left shoulder strains with degenerative arthritis, right and left hip degenerative arthritis, left ankle degenerative arthritis with chronic instability and anterior talofibular ligament strain, cervical spine degenerative disc disease with degenerative arthritis, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and obstructive sleep apnea, all of which are secondary to service-connected disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a retrospective medical opinion to address the Veteran's right shoulder disability without the ameliorative effects of his use of pain medication.
- Denied
The Board denied earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection and increased ratings, granted readjudication on new evidence, and remanded several claims.
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