Ankle decisions — 2019

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right shoulder disability, 'back' disability, right ankle degenerative changes, hypertension, an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD), and migraine headaches. The claims are granted.

The Board denied service connection for right and left ankle conditions, right and left knee conditions, back condition, residuals of TBI, and bilateral hearing loss as there was no evidence of current disabilities or a nexus to service.

The Veteran seeks an earlier effective date for service connection for right knee tendonitis/tendinosis with osteoarthritis, left ankle Achilles’ tendon rupture, and PTSD with major depressive disorder. The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence is against these claims.,The Veteran also seeks an earlier effective date for service connection for right ankle Achilles’ tendon rupture. The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence is against this claim.

The Veteran's appeals for sleep apnea, hypertension, and chronic pain were dismissed. The right shoulder disorder appeal was remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including skin condition, bilateral eye condition, left knee disability, and tinnitus. The evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's applications to reopen claims for neck, back, bilateral knee, and bilateral ankle disorders were denied as new and material evidence was not provided.,No service connection granted or assigned a rating.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for lumbar strain and right ankle sprain, as well as her claim for TDIU, have been dismissed due to her withdrawal of the appeal.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient rationale in a previous VA examination and to consider whether the Veteran's left ankle disability is secondary to his service-connected right knee disability.

The Veteran's claims for rating reductions, increased ratings, and earlier effective dates are pending. The SMC claim is also pending as it may be affected by the outcome of these other claims.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for higher ratings for left ankle and right elbow disabilities, as well as his claim for TDIU due to service-connected disability. The remand requires additional examinations and development of records.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right shoulder disability, right ankle disability, eye disorder, skin parasites, and hypertension. The Veteran's headaches and allergic skin disorder have been granted service connection.,Service connection was not established for the Veteran's right shoulder or right ankle disabilities as they were not incurred during her periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, or INACDUTRA.

The Veteran's right ankle and hip disabilities are remanded for further examination to determine if they are related to service or secondary to his service-connected conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for back disorder, right ankle disorder, radiculopathy in the right leg as secondary to back disorder, and bilateral pes planus (flat feet) as secondary to an ankle disorder. The left leg radiculopathy was denied due to lack of a current diagnosis.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment during the appeal period.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left ankle strains, cervical spine strain, degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, and bilateral pes planus have been denied as there is no clear and unmistakable evidence that these conditions began during service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right ankle disability, finding that there is no evidence to support the Veteran's contention that his current condition was incurred during active duty.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of increased ratings for his service-connected left and right ankle achilles ruptures due to new evidence indicating an increase in severity since his last VA examinations.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including lumbar spine disorder, bilateral ankle disorders, IBS, left hip replacement, right hip disorder (including degenerative arthritis), and knee disorders. The claims were not reopened.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including a depressive disorder and multiple musculoskeletal conditions, preclude him from engaging in substantially gainful employment. As his combined rating is at least 60%, he meets the schedular requirements for a TDIU under VA regulations.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral ankle disability and granted service connection for bilateral pes planus. Service connection for tinnitus was granted but the decision is mixed as some issues were granted while others were not.