The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection and increased ratings are denied.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU is granted with an effective date of February 2, 2015.
The deciding factor: There were no earlier claims or intent to file related to the disabilities at issue within one year prior to the dates of the relevant decisions.
- Claimed conditions
- Status post total left knee replacement, Left ankle sprain with instability, Degenerative arthritis of the spine, intervertebral disc syndrome, and lumbar spondylosis (right knee)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 13, 2026
- Citation
- A26003220
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 A26003220.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for left ankle sprain with instability, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and PTSD, and remanded the claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to deficiencies in prior examination reports. The Veteran's right ankle and knee disabilities are being reviewed again with a focus on pain levels during range of motion testing.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and bilateral knee disorders, rendered him unable to work in any active or sedentary position he might have been able to obtain with his background. The Board has granted an effective date of January 19, 2011 for the TDIU.
- Granted
The Veteran's left knee and lumbar spine disabilities are found to be secondary to his service-connected right knee disability.
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