Ankle decisions — 2012

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral ankle disorder and heart disorder are related to his period of active duty service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The appellant's combined disability rating is 70%, which does not meet the criteria for a TDIU as his disabilities are service-connected and do not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary in order to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including obtaining VA examinations and Social Security Administration (SSA) records.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current right ankle disability related to service and therefore, denies his claim for service connection for a right ankle disability. The issue of entitlement to an evaluation in excess of 70 percent disabling for PTSD is withdrawn by the Veteran.

The Veteran's claims for an increased evaluation for left ankle fracture residuals and service connection for arthritis, including spondyloarthritis were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a grant of benefits under any applicable rating criteria.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and opinion regarding service connection for various shoulder, knee, and ankle disabilities.

The Veteran's claims were denied as his service-connected left ankle disability did not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent, and the other issues were also denied.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the relationship between the Veteran's current left ankle disorder and his active duty service, including a September 1955 injury. The case is therefore being remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations and the acquisition of more recent treatment records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left foot, left ankle, right knee, and left knee disabilities as well as bilateral hearing loss. The evidence did not support a finding of in-service injury or disease related to these conditions.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the etiology and aggravation of any current ankle disability, as well as to ensure all VA treatment records are obtained.

The Board found no evidence to support service connection for asthma or left ankle disability, and thus denied both claims.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature of his foot and ankle conditions. The TDIU claim will also be addressed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee, ankle, and hip disabilities are not related to her service-connected low back disability. The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ankle disability did not have its onset during active service, is not related to his service-connected right fibula fracture and right ankle injury, and therefore, does not warrant service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation, as his unemployment is due to nonservice-connected factors such as substance abuse.

The Veteran's appeal has been remanded due to scheduling issues for a Travel Board hearing. The case will be returned to the RO after the hearing.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability as secondary to right ankle disability, an increased evaluation for his right ankle disability, and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development of evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for a Persian Gulf War examination and additional treatment records.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not cause or contribute substantially to his death from acute myocardial infarction. The medical opinion provided by a VA physician indicated it was less likely than not that any of the Veteran's service-connected conditions contributed to his death.