Ankle decisions — 2019

The Board has denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's right ankle disability and has remanded the issue of entitlement to TDIU based on this disability. The decision is pending further action.

The Board has remanded three claims: right ankle disability, patellofemoral DJD of the right knee, and patellofemoral DJD of the left knee. The right ankle claim is for extraschedular consideration, while the right and left knee claims are for increased ratings.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's right ankle disability and sleep apnea are not service-connected, but has remanded for further examination regarding his headaches.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for left shoulder muscle strain and left ankle sprain were denied by the Board of Veterans' Appeals. The rating for left shoulder muscle strain was found to be in excess of 20 percent, while the rating for left ankle sprain remained at 10 percent.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection as it is presumed to have started during active duty. The left knee, right hand, and ankle conditions were denied due to lack of evidence linking them to service. The right foot condition was also denied for the same reason. Service connection for thyroid and bilateral hearing loss are remanded.,The Veteran's left knee, right hand, and ankle conditions were not granted as they did not have a link to his military service. His right foot condition was also denied due to lack of evidence linking it to service. The Veteran's thyroid condition is being remanded because the July 2015 VA examiner found that it may be aggravated by another condition (heart condition). Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is also being remanded.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection. The right ankle disability, bilateral flatfoot, and acquired psychiatric disorder (insomnia) were denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities or continuity of symptoms since service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including right knee disability, right shoulder disorder, right wrist disorder, and left ankle disorder. The appeal was also remanded for further action on other claims.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right knee and right ankle disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional examination and development of records.

The Veteran's right ankle degenerative arthritis is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left wrist condition, plantar fasciitis, right ankle condition, and tinnitus as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims due to new evidence received since his last Statement of the Case. The Veteran is requested to provide information about any recent medical care providers and updated VA treatment records.

The Board has granted service connection and an initial rating of 30 percent for residuals of a left groin disability, as well as granting service connection for multiple conditions including bilateral shoulder disabilities, low back disability, left hip disability, right knee condition, and left ankle condition. The Veteran's PTSD is also rated at the maximum schedular level (70 percent) since May 22, 2018.

The Veteran's claim for higher ratings and earlier effective dates for various conditions related to his military service has been denied. The appeal is not about service connection, but rather the evaluation of existing disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for right ankle, right knee, and tendonitis disabilities due to insufficient information. Additional records from SSA and VA are needed, as well as a VA examination.

The Board has granted service connection for a right ankle disability, but has remanded the cases for further examination and rating considerations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for back, neck, left ankle, and lung disorders due to insufficient evidence in his service treatment records. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions based on his military service.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for postoperative residuals of left ankle fracture, peripheral neuropathy of the left lateral foot and ankle, and postoperative scars of the left ankle were denied on an extraschedular basis as their symptoms are adequately contemplated by the applicable diagnostic criteria.

The Board has determined that the current severity of the Veteran’s right ankle disability is unclear and a new VA examination is needed to address the deficiencies in the December 2014 VA examination before this claim can be decided on the merits.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left knee, right wrist, left wrist, right ankle, and right foot conditions due to a lack of VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder, right hand, and left ankle disorders due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.