Ankle decisions — 2017

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of any of the claimed disabilities and therefore, service connection cannot be granted for right ankle disability, right foot disability, impaired vision, or right hand disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA medical examinations and securing outstanding treatment records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right ankle condition and found that his lumbar strain with degenerative disc disease warrants a 40% rating, which is the maximum available under the applicable VA rating criteria.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and TDIU was granted. The right ankle disability is rated at 10 percent, the right medial ankle scar remains at 10 percent, and the Veteran is now eligible for TDIU.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back condition and left ankle condition, both secondary to his service-connected left knee disability.

The Veteran requested to withdraw all issues on appeal, and the Board has dismissed the appeal due to this request.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for a bilateral eye condition, right hamstring injury, and right ankle condition have been reopened. However, the evidence does not establish herbicide exposure in Vietnam or any other location that would allow for presumptive service connection.,Service connection for prostate cancer due to herbicide agent exposure has been denied as there is no credible evidence of herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is granted, with a TDIU being awarded. The remaining issues are addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for an increased rating for a right ankle disability prior to November 2, 2010, and in excess of 20 percent thereafter.

The Veteran's right ankle disability, which includes a fracture that was repaired and now manifests as osteoarthritis with a scar from plantar fasciitis treatment, is currently rated at 10 percent. The Board finds the evidence does not support an increase in rating beyond this level.

The Board has granted an initial rating of 20 percent for the Veteran's chronic right ankle sprain, which is the maximum available under Diagnostic Code 5271.

The Board found that the Veteran's current right ankle disorder did not have its onset during his period of service and is not related to any in-service injury. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that the current condition is directly related to service.

The Veteran's respiratory disorder is service-connected, and he was granted higher initial disability evaluations for his left ankle sprain with reflex sympathetic dystrophy and right ankle sprain. The TDIU claim remains pending.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and further development of his claim.

The Board has decided that proper notice was not provided to the Veteran for his scheduled VA examinations and hearing, and thus the case is being remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication due to issues related to substitution of claimants following the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his election to receive VA pension instead of compensation benefits.

The Veteran's disability status post left fibula fracture with surgical scar and post-traumatic arthritis of the left ankle and left knee has been rated at 20 percent since July 15, 2011. The evidence does not support a higher rating as his symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic code.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a left ankle injury and a left ankle scar require additional development, including a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional medical records and further development.