Ankle decisions — 2015

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for left foot plantar fasciitis is granted, and his service connection claims for low back disability and left knee disability are granted. The claim for service connection for left foot numbness remains pending.

The Veteran was awarded a TDIU rating effective from April 30, 2004 due to his service-connected disabilities. The effective date of April 30, 2003 is granted as he met the schedular criteria for a TDIU during this period.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have hearing loss for VA purposes and therefore, service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The remaining issues on appeal are addressed below.

The Veteran's tinnitus is related to in-service noise exposure. The Board finds that the Veteran's low back, right hip, and bilateral ankle disorders are not directly related to service.

The Board has granted a 20% rating for the Veteran's right ankle disability and found that his service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran has tinnitus that is the result of disease or injury incurred during active military service. The Board finds the Veteran's statements regarding an in-service onset of tinnitus to be credible and grants service connection for tinnitus.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current low back disability is not related to his military service and therefore, denies service connection for a low back disability. The left ankle disability claim will be remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues related to service connection for a left ankle disability. The Veteran must be provided with a Statement of the Case on this issue.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and VA examination reports.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and Social Security Administration records. The Veteran will be provided a new VA examination to assess his employability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right ankle disorder is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, scheduling an examination, and considering whether his current condition may be related to military service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a VA examination and providing the Veteran with an addendum medical statement on his claimed conditions. The Veteran's claims will be readjudicated following this development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral foot disability and right ankle disability are etiologically related to his active duty service, granting service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed left knee and right ankle disabilities are not related to his service, and therefore denied these claims.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ankle/right leg disorder, left hip disorder, right knee disorder, and left knee disorder. The evidence presented is sufficient to raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine if his current foot and ankle disabilities are secondary to service-connected bilateral pes planus.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and post-service medical records. The Veteran's claims for service connection will be reconsidered after this additional development.

The Board has granted service connection for headaches and finds that the Veteran's current right ankle tendonitis is not related to his in-service right ankle sprain or his service-connected orthopedic disabilities. The case is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding these issues.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied across multiple issues related to his bilateral pes planus. The Board found that the ankle, knee and leg, hip, lumbar spondylosis, right shoulder strain, and left shoulder disabilities are not linked to his service-connected bilateral pes planus.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine as secondary to his service-connected right ankle disability. The issue of an increased rating for the Veteran's right ankle disability is remanded.