Ankle decisions — 2010

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the schedular criteria for TDIU under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(a). The Board has ordered remand to obtain clarification of the November 2006 VA examination and to afford the Veteran a VA examination to determine his employability.

The case is being remanded for additional development, including review of new evidence submitted by the Veteran and issuance of a supplemental statement of the case.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have any current diagnoses of the claimed conditions and there is no evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service. Therefore, the claims for service connection are denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to incomplete information and records. The AOJ needs to gather more details about the status of his bills, whether he filed a lawsuit against the lumbar yard, and obtain relevant VA treatment records.

The Board has ordered a new VA examination to determine the etiology of any diagnosed right lower extremity disabilities, including all right ankle and foot disabilities. The Veteran's claim will be remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral ankle disorder and a right knee disorder were denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his PTSD was granted, but he has not indicated satisfaction with the highest possible evaluation.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining medical opinions and Social Security Administration records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back degenerative joint disease and left ankle fracture are likely due to injuries sustained during his active service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left ankle disabilities were denied by the RO. The initial rating of 20 percent for the right ankle was upheld, while a higher rating for the left ankle disability was not granted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for PTSD, bilateral flat feet, and bilateral ankle disability due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including obtaining a VA examination and attempting to locate the Veteran's service separation examination.

The Board has determined that there is no current diagnosis of a left or right ankle disorder, and thus service connection for these conditions cannot be established.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to incomplete development and need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a more current VA medical evaluation of her left ankle disorder, including instability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee and right ankle disabilities, finding that there was no evidence of a preexisting condition aggravated by service or a current disability related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral ankle and knee disabilities had their onset during service, resolving all doubt in favor of the Veteran. The claim for deep vein thrombosis is not supported by the evidence provided.

The Veteran's right ankle sprain and neck sprain have been rated at 10 percent since October 4, 2007. The Board found that the evidence did not warrant a higher rating for either condition.

The Board found that the Veteran's preexisting left knee and ankle disabilities were not aggravated by service or a service-connected disability, and thus denied service connection for these conditions. The initial rating of 10% for bilateral plantar fasciitis was granted.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings and earlier effective dates have been denied. The current rating of 20% for postoperative residuals of excision of an exostosis of the medial malleolus of the right ankle is maintained, as there is no evidence showing that the disability was more severe prior to February 28, 2007 or May 22, 2007. The claim for earlier effective dates has been dismissed due to lack of timely notice of disagreement.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for gout of the bilateral wrists and ankles have been denied by the RO.