The Board granted an effective date of December 7, 2015, for the award of service connection for painful surgical scar, left knee, and a 10 percent rating for cluster headaches. It denied earlier effective dates for other issues.
The deciding factor: The decision was based on the fact that the Veteran's painful surgical scar arose from his separately assigned left knee disability, and it is not factually ascertainable that an increase in depression symptoms occurred within one year prior to November 1, 2021.
- Claimed conditions
- painful surgical scar, left knee, major depressive disorder (depression), left knee tendonitis with arthritis status post total arthroplasty (left knee disability), hypertension, tinnitus, cluster headaches
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 12, 2025
- Citation
- A25042255
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for tinnitus to correct a duty to assist error, as the Veteran's lay statements regarding onset and continuity of symptoms were not adequately considered in the previous decision.
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