Many veterans suffer from knee disabilities. Some are caused by a distinct injury suffered while on active duty. Others are caused by the added stress that military service places on the knees. Although establishing service connection for a knee condition may sometimes be difficult, the real challenge comes in making sure that the VA correctly evaluates the disability. Perhaps more than any other type of disability, knee conditions might manifest in numerous symptoms that can each be rated under a different diagnostic code. This often leads to confusion on the part of both veterans service officers and VA adjudicators, resulting in veterans being under-evaluated. Compounding this problem, in 2021, the VA made significant changes to the rating criteria for a diagnostic code commonly used to rate knee disabilities. This webinar will guide veterans service officers through the complicated case law and regulations that govern how the VA should rate knee disabilities.

This 90-minute webinar will cover the following and more:

• An analysis of the rating criteria in the diagnostic codes for knee disabilities
• How the VA’s recent changes to the rating criteria for knee instability impact veterans
• VA’s duty to maximize a veteran’s benefits, and when veterans are entitled to multiple ratings for their knee condition
• How to ensure that a veteran’s rating properly accounts for functional loss caused by flare-ups and repeated use over a period of time
• How to identify an inadequate VA knee examination
• Additional important considerations, such as separate ratings for scars, temporary 100% ratings, and special monthly compensation