The Board denied the claims for service connection for right and left knee disorders as there is no evidence showing a nexus between the Veteran's bilateral knee strain and his in-service injury or running and rucking during service.
The deciding factor: The March 2025 VA medical opinions addressing the Veteran's right and left knee strain were particularly probative, as the examiner addressed the Veteran's lay evidence, full medical history, and relevant medical literature. The Veteran reported that his pain began in 2020, which is 28 years after active duty.
- Claimed conditions
- right knee disorder, left knee disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 23, 2025
- Citation
- 25008240
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death while it was pending.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for PTSD, diabetes mellitus, type II, migraines, left and right knee disorders, and obstructive sleep apnea due to missing military records and inadequate examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for right and left knee disorders to obtain a new examination that adequately addresses all pertinent evidence of record.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis was dismissed due to a untimely notice of disagreement. The left knee disorder claim is remanded for further action.
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