Ankle decisions — 2020

The Veteran's claims for residuals of left ankle sprain, sleep apnea, left hand pain, chronic fatigue syndrome, and pseudofolliculitis barbae/tinea versicolor have all been denied as there is no current diagnosis or service connection established.

The Board has denied service connection for various bilateral and unilateral joint disabilities, including wrist, hip, knee, shoulder, and ankle conditions. The evidence does not support a finding that any of these conditions are related to military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed knee, ankle and wrist disabilities are not service-connected as they did not originate during or as a result of his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there is no current disability due to disease or injury related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeals for higher initial ratings on multiple rheumatoid arthritis conditions have been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal prior to the Board making a decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) as he did not return the necessary VA Form 21-8940 to support his claim, and there is no evidence in the record showing that his service-connected disabilities result in an inability to obtain or maintain gainful employment.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support the Veteran's claims of right and left ankle disorders being related to service. The Veteran's current ankle disabilities are attributed to post-service injuries, not her in-service injury.

The Veteran's claims for service connection related to gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms have been denied. Effective dates for the awards of service connection are also denied.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus were not related to service, as there was no evidence of in-service noise exposure or continuity of symptoms.,PTSD was denied due to lack of credible supporting evidence for the claimed stressors. Sleep apnea was denied because there is no evidence of a current disability that began during service.,Low back disorder and right-sided sciatica were not related to service, as there are no records indicating an in-service injury or chronic symptoms after separation.,Right ankle disorder was also not related to service, with the absence of any documented injuries or relevant symptoms.

The Board has restored the reduced ratings for left and right lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy, but has remanded other claims including evaluations for ankle fracture, lumbar spine condition, knee conditions, and TDIU.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for a new VA examination of the Veteran's left ankle disability that complies with the requirements in Sharp v. Shulkin, 29 Vet. App. (2017).

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including pes planus, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a right eye disorder, a low back disorder, left ankle disorders, right ankle disorders, right shoulder disorders, right hand disorders, and headache disorders. The reasons given were that the evidence did not support a finding of in-service aggravation or incurrence for most conditions, and there was no current diagnosis for some conditions.

The Veteran's disability rating for his service-connected ligament injury right ankle was restored from 10% to 20%. The reduction from 20% to 10% was found to be improper due to the lack of actual improvement in symptoms and functional impact.

The Veteran's right ankle, left knee instability, and lumbar spine disabilities have been granted initial disability ratings of 20 percent since August 24, 2011.

The Veteran's claims for left and right ankle tendinitis were dismissed. The claim for high cholesterol was denied, but the Veteran received an increased rating of 70% for PTSD.

The Board has denied the claims of service connection for various disabilities, including right and left shoulder disabilities, right wrist, left wrist, right ankle, left ankle, hernia, joint pain, and prostate cancer. The Veteran's prostate cancer was not found to be service-connected.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues related to a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability (TDIU). The Veteran was found to have raised this issue in his December 2016 Notice of Disagreement and VA records show he is unable to return to work. Further development, including requesting SSA disability file and completing a VA Form 21-8940, is required.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of a bilateral ankle disability is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records.

Service connection for CLL was denied. A rating of 20 percent, but no more, for left ankle strain from October 18, 2017 to November 4, 2019 was granted.

The Board has remanded the service connection claims for bilateral foot, hip, ankle, lumbar spine, and skin disabilities due to exposure to Agent Orange. Updated VA treatment records and examinations are needed.