12-19 026, 12-19 026

Veteran served active duty Oct 1998–Oct 2003 (Coast Guard) and alleges an in-service slip/fall during a rescue that injured his right knee.
He reported continued pain and swelling after the incident and self-treated; did not seek contemporaneous medical treatment often citing flight orders and unit culture.
Service records include a notation of "sore knee" at an Aug 2003 physical but no formal diagnosed knee injury in service.
Post-service treatment first appears in 2009: diagnosed torn lateral meniscus (partial meniscectomy in Oct 2009) and degenerative arthritis.
July 2015 VA examiner opined that right knee condition was less likely than not related to service, citing lack of contemporaneous medical evidence and a gap until 2009.
Board found the July 2015 opinion inadequate because the examiner discounted credible lay testimony and failed to consider Veteran and lay-witness statements; remanded for an addendum exam and opinion noting Veteran’s credibility and that an in-service diagnosis is not required for service connection.

Issue	Plaintiff's Argument	Defendant's Argument	Held
Service connection for right knee disability	Veteran: in-service slip/fall caused knee injury; continued symptoms through 2009; lack of contemporaneous treatment explained by circumstances	VA/Examiner: no documentation of in-service injury or ongoing symptoms; first treatment in 2009 breaks nexus	Remanded: examiner’s nexus opinion inadequate; Board accepts Veteran’s credibility and orders addendum opinion and further development

Layno v. Brown, 6 Vet. App. 465 (Veteran competent to report symptoms)
Buchanan v. Nicholson, 451 F.3d 1331 (absence of contemporaneous records does not alone render lay testimony not credible)
Barr v. Nicholson, 21 Vet. App. 303 (examiner opinions must be adequate for decision-making)
Kutscherousky v. West, 12 Vet. App. 369 (appellant may submit additional evidence after remand)