The Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of a temporary total disability rating for left knee replacement and remanded issues related to higher ratings for the left knee and associated scars.
The deciding factor: The decision was based on the lack of evidence supporting an earlier effective date, as the Veteran's left knee replacement surgery occurred on October 4, 2023, and a temporary total rating was granted from that date.
- Claimed conditions
- Left knee total replacement, Left knee scar(s), post-total knee replacement
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 9, 2025
- Citation
- A25032609
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 124 · Granted: 45% (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 A25032609.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's left knee total replacement is rated at 60 percent, reflecting chronic residuals consisting of severe painful motion or weakness.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including ischemic heart disease, lumbosacral strain, and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, prevented him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including ratings for various knee conditions and other musculoskeletal disorders. The Veteran is required to provide additional medical records from private providers that have been scanned into VISTA imaging system.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for hearing loss and increased ratings for left knee instability prior to July 2018, but remanded the issues of increased ratings for right knee instability and right knee flexion impairment. The Veteran's claims are pending further development.
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