The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for left and right knee strains were denied, as the evidence did not show that his knee disabilities warranted higher ratings. The appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was also denied because the Veteran does not have a current hearing disability for VA purposes.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's knee conditions are already rated at their maximum under applicable diagnostic codes and there is no additional limitation of motion or instability to warrant higher ratings. For his hearing loss, the evidence did not meet the criteria for a hearing disability as defined by VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- Left knee strain, Right knee strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 23, 2026
- Citation
- A26016004
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 A26016004.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee disability, finding that there was no nexus between his current condition and active duty service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine strain, right wrist sprain, right knee strain, left knee strain, and right ankle strain. The disabilities are all deemed to have begun during the Veteran's active duty.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee condition due to inadequate VA opinions and incomplete record development regarding his National Guard service.
- Denied
The Veteran's VR&E benefits were denied as she did not have an employment handicap and was found to be employable with her current skills, experience, and education. The appeal must be denied.
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