Ankle decisions — 2012

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed skin disease, hand tremors, and joint disabilities are not related to his service or any undiagnosed illness. The hip and ankle disabilities have not been shown to be due to a chronic condition within one year of separation.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is granted, effective from the date he stopped working on June 30, 2006. The claims for higher ratings of residuals of compression fracture L1 and left knee osteoarthritis are also granted.

The Veteran seeks service connection for back, bilateral knee, and bilateral ankle disorders. The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain Army Reserve treatment records and verify the alleged in-service stressor of a fire at Fort Dix, New Jersey. If these are obtained and verified, the Veteran will be afforded VA examinations to determine if any current diagnoses are related to service.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining a VA examination and private treatment records. The service connection secondary to rheumatic heart disease with aortic stenosis and cardiac murmur issue is also inextricably intertwined and will be addressed as part of the TDIU review.

The Board has granted the reopening of the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disorder and found that he has PTSD as related to his in-service stressors. Service connection is also granted for ischemic heart disease, presumed due to herbicide exposure during service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by or a result of his service-connected disabilities, and therefore denied DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

The Veteran's service connection claim for headaches, claimed as migraine headaches, is granted. The remaining claims are not addressed in this decision.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and VA treatment records from April 2011. The Veteran will also be asked to provide information about his employment since 2004.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a comprehensive examination to consider all of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and their combined effect on his employment.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied, and the reduction of his left knee disability rating was found to be improper. The Veteran did not have new and material evidence submitted to reopen several of his claims.

The Board denied the reopening of the claim for service connection for a right ankle disability due to lack of new and material evidence, as the submitted evidence did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were previously denied in January 1994. New and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims for congenital partial transitional vertebra L5, left with low back pain; right ankle disability; and left ear hearing loss. The claim for a left ankle disability was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence. A rating of 70 percent is granted for service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied across multiple issues, including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, sinusitis, pain, uveitis, ankle disability, knee disability, hand disability, and fractures of the ribs. The Board found no evidence to support these claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left ankle disability is as likely as not due to an injury during active service, and thus grants service connection for a left ankle disability.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for residuals of a chip fracture, right ankle was granted with a 20 percent evaluation effective December 13, 2010. The claim for bilateral hearing loss remains in appellate status as it does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation. Service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is addressed separately.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ankle sprain was incurred during active service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is service-connected as secondary to his service-connected left knee and left ankle disabilities. His increased ratings for the left knee and left ankle are granted, with a TDIU claim also being granted.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings have been withdrawn. As a result, the claims are dismissed.