Ankle decisions — 2017

The Board found no evidence of a chronic right or left ankle disorder during service and denied the Veteran's claims for service connection.,For his left shoulder, the VA examiner concluded that there is not enough evidence to establish a link between the current condition and service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right foot and ankle disabilities have been denied. The Board is remanding the case to obtain additional medical opinions and to ensure all relevant records are obtained.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back condition is not service connected, as there is no evidence of a nexus between his current low back disability and his period of service. The right ankle condition was also found to be unrelated to the low back condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current left leg or left ankle disabilities, and therefore cannot establish service connection for these conditions.,Regarding the back disorder, a VA examination was conducted but did not provide an opinion on whether it is caused by the in-service motorcycle accident or secondary to the service-connected right leg fracture residuals.

The Board has determined that an extraschedular rating is not warranted for the Veteran's right ankle disability as his symptoms do not include clinical evidence of instability and they are adequately compensated by the current 20 percent schedular rating.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining medical opinions and records. The issues include service connection for various disabilities and a TDIU claim.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of right ankle and left ankle conditions, finding no current diagnoses. The claim for increased rating of right knee strain was also denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.

The Board has determined that service connection is not warranted for any of the claimed disabilities, as there is no evidence showing a nexus to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of his claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine disability, bilateral knee disability, right ankle disability, and hemorrhoids are all service-connected.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by his representative, and the Board is dismissing the appeal.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back, left knee, and left ankle disabilities due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and to obtain additional medical records, as well as to provide an addendum opinion from a qualified examiner. The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right ankle disability is pending.

The Veteran's service connection for residuals of an August 2008 motor vehicle accident (MVA) as secondary to medications was granted. However, the initial disability ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity, left upper extremity, right lower extremity, and left lower extremity were all denied.

The Board has vacated the denial of service connection for a bilateral foot disorder and remanded it. The Veteran's preexisting bilateral flat feet did not increase in disability during active service, and were not aggravated thereby.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequacies in a previous VA opinion, and the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left ankle disorder will be reconsidered.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee degenerative joint disease has been reopened and is granted.,Service connection is also granted for bilateral lower extremity sciatica/neuralgia as secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his left ankle disability is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and consideration of all available records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diagnosed conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various forms of arthritis, are related to service. The appeal is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding his employability and the severity of his service-connected disabilities. The case will be reconsidered after additional development.