Ankle decisions — 2019

The appeal was dismissed because the Veteran's substantive appeal regarding his increased ratings and service connection claims for ankle sprains, hearing loss, knee disability, foot disability, and anxiety disorder was not timely filed.

The Board has remanded the claims due to insufficient documentation and unclear reasons for not performing the requested examinations. The Veteran is to be scheduled for VA examinations to assess his service-connected knee and ankle disabilities, as well as his positional sleep-disordered breathing.

The Board has denied service connection for right ear hearing loss, right ankle condition, and right knee condition. The Veteran's nose injury is also remanded for further examination.,Service connection for allergic rhinitis secondary to a nose injury is also remanded.

The Board has denied service connection for hypertension, sleep apnea, and hair loss. The Veteran's vision problems, tension headaches, shoulder conditions, knee conditions, ankle conditions, and back condition are being remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's hepatitis C is granted as service connected, with the condition first diagnosed in 1993 and linked to his military service via air gun inoculations. The other conditions are denied due to lack of a current diagnosis or no evidence linking them to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow any substantially gainful occupation since January 1, 2010. The Board granted entitlement to TDIU.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration, including a TDIU claim, a rating increase for uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, and status-post bypass grafts. The issues are inextricably intertwined with each other.

The Veteran's claims for left ankle disability, right ankle disability, and tinnitus have been denied. The claims for bilateral pes planus and residuals of a right foot injury have been reopened due to new evidence. A psychiatric disability claim requires additional information.

The Veteran's claim for hypertension and an acquired psychiatric disorder to include unspecified depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, paranoid schizophrenia and insomnia has been reopened. The right ankle disability claim is being remanded.,Hypertension and the acquired psychiatric disorder claims are both reopened due to new evidence received since their last final denial. However, service connection cannot be established for these conditions as there is no evidence of a current disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to missing service treatment records and the need to obtain medical opinions regarding the etiologies of his disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right ankle disability, cardiac disability, hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol), and right ear hearing loss due to lack of evidence of current disabilities.,There is no medical evidence showing that the Veteran has any current right ankle disability or hearing loss. The VA examinations did not show impairment in these areas.

The Board has granted a 20 percent rating for the Veteran's left ankle strain status post arthroscopy, effective from the date of the July 2018 rating decision.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to his failure to report for VA examinations. The claims will be remanded to schedule new examinations.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination to address the Veteran's ankle disorders, specifically whether he currently has ankylosis in either his left or right ankle.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen claims for service connection for right ankle and low back disabilities. The remaining issues of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability and increased rating for a left foot disability are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions have been denied.,No effective dates were assigned as the Veteran was discharged from active service on April 10, 2014.

The Board has restored the 20% disability ratings for right ankle sprain with calcaneal spurs and left knee osteoarthritis, but denied restoration of the 10% rating for left knee ACL reconstruction.

The Board has denied service connection for right and left ankle injuries with residuals, finding no evidence of such conditions in service or within one year post-service. The cause of death claim is also remanded due to the need for an addendum opinion regarding a heart condition.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for chronic pain in the left index finger, lower back, and left ankle have been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection for asthma and ulcerative colitis are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder and right ankle disabilities due to insufficient evidence.