Ankle decisions — 2016

The Veteran's appeal is remanded to obtain additional medical records and employment information, and for a VA examination to assess his employability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence was received to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability and a left ankle disability. The Board found that there is sufficient evidence to support these claims, including medical opinions linking current disabilities to service.

The Board has remanded the case to the AOJ for further development, including referral of the Veteran's claim to the Director of Compensation Service for a determination as to whether an extraschedular rating is warranted. The appeal is now pending before the RO and will be scheduled for a videoconference hearing.

The Veteran's arthritis of the right hand and right ankle are found to be related to his military service, with all doubts resolved in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left ankle disorder and bilateral lower extremity pitting edema, as new evidence supports these claims. The case is remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the nature of the disabilities and their relationship to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine, bilateral knee, and bilateral ankle disabilities are related to service due to continuous symptoms since separation from active duty.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for SLE, chronic urticaria, migraine headaches, anemia, depression, ankle disorder, bladder infections, and tunnel vision. The evidence received since the August 2004 denial relates to unestablished facts necessary to substantiate these claims.

The Veteran's service connection for right Achilles tendonitis as secondary to residuals of a right ankle fracture is granted. The issue of an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for residuals of a right ankle fracture, including the right Achilles tendonitis, is remanded.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection were denied. The right ankle disability was evaluated as 10 percent prior to January 9, 2013, and 20 percent from that date onwards. Service connection for a lung condition and lumbar spine disability were not established.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for arthritis of the lumbar spine and right ankle disability, as well as his increased ratings for PTSD, right ankle disability, seizure disorder, and TBI were denied. The effective date for the award of a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) was not earlier than April 29, 2002.

The Veteran's service connection claim for PTSD with bipolar disorder was granted, and an initial disability rating of 70 percent was assigned.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a new examination to assess the current severity of his lumbar spine and left ankle sprain disabilities.

The Board found that the Veteran's left ankle orthopedic disability, which included arthritis and limited motion, did not warrant a rating in excess of 20 percent. The current 20 percent rating was upheld as appropriate for marked limitation of motion.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ankle impingement with tendonitis warrants a disability rating of 20 percent, as his range of motion is limited to approximately half of its normal range.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including obtaining relevant medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's migraines have resulted in very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability, warranting a maximum schedular rating of 50 percent.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a new VA examination of his left ankle disability and an opinion regarding the etiology of his bilateral knee condition.

The Board denied service connection for a back disorder and residuals of a bilateral leg injury, finding that the Veteran's current conditions did not have their onset in service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for thoracolumbar strain and right ankle strain are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for a right shoulder disability, lower back disability, bilateral ankle disability, IBS with residuals of a parasite infection, and headaches have already been granted by the AMC.