Ankle decisions — 2017

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine her eligibility for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from securing and following substantially gainful employment since November 1, 2009.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his right ankle disability. The claim will be reconsidered after these actions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of her right ankle disability, residuals of a left ankle injury, and diabetes mellitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right foot and ankle disability is related to his military service, granting his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for increased rating and service connection are being remanded to obtain additional VA treatment records and to schedule a new VA examination.,The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for hepatitis C is being remanded to obtain an opinion regarding the etiology of his current diagnosis.,The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for sarcoidosis is being remanded to obtain an opinion regarding the nature and etiology of his diagnosed condition.

The Board denied reopening of service connection for PTSD, hypertension, and other conditions due to lack of evidence supporting the claims.,Service connection was not granted for hypertension, musculoskeletal condition, liver condition/cirrhosis, macular degeneration with glaucoma of the right eye, or loss of vision of the left eye as there was no established service connection.,The Board also denied reopening of service connection for CAD and diabetes mellitus type II due to lack of evidence supporting these claims.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are sufficiently severe to inhibit his ability to obtain gainful employment, and the Board has granted a TDIU.

The Board found no current right knee disability and denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including migraine headaches, skin disabilities of the feet and hands, a heart murmur, bilateral hearing loss, high liver enzymes, anemia, and a penile deformity.

The Veteran's left ankle disability and sciatica of the bilateral lower extremities were not incurred or aggravated by service. The Veteran is granted TDIU.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions, including PTSD and major depression, were granted. The rating assigned for GERD was increased to 10 percent.

The Veteran's right ankle fracture disability is rated at 10 percent from April 5, 2012 to April 7, 2014 and at 20 percent thereafter.

The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for acne and right ankle tendinitis was denied. The Veteran's acne is rated at 10 percent, effective June 28, 2010. Right ankle tendinitis prior to March 20, 2013 is also rated at 10 percent; from March 20, 2013, it is rated at the maximum of 20 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral ankle and foot disabilities are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his active duty. The preponderance of the evidence does not support the claim for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including conjunctivitis, right ankle disability, left foot/ankle disability, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, Meniere's disease, hypertension, bilateral hand disability, and generalized arthritis. The appeal was also denied regarding a claim for increased ratings for certain disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral foot disorder and an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence of in-service injury or disease leading to these conditions.

The Board has determined that additional examinations are needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's lumbar spine disability and right ankle disability, as well as whether these conditions are related to his military service or any other service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's left ankle disability was granted a 10% rating, and his hypertension with chronic renal disease was granted a 60% rating. The other claims were denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims to reopen his service connection claims for various conditions, finding that no new and material evidence had been submitted since previous denials.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted for various knee and ankle conditions, as well as a wrist injury. The Board found that the evidence supported these findings.