Ankle decisions — 2020

The Veteran's left knee disability was restored to a 20 percent rating from November 1, 2020. The Board found the reduction of his left knee disability rating to 10 percent in September 2017 was not properly made and granted restoration.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of right ankle, knee, and low back conditions secondary to his left ankle condition are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Veteran's appeals for initial ratings in excess of 50 percent for obstructive sleep apnea with restless leg syndrome and an initial noncompensable rating for allergic rhinitis have been dismissed.,The Veteran has been granted TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination reports and a need for further development, including obtaining new VA examinations to assess the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected right and left ankle sprains.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left ankle disorder and residuals of a hysterectomy, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims. The decision also noted that further development is needed for the claim regarding the hysterectomy.

Service connection for a right ankle disorder is granted.,An initial rating in excess of 10 percent for right calcaneal fracture is denied. An effective date of March 8, 2019, for a 50 percent rating for headaches is granted.,Initial compensable rating prior to September 3, 2019, and in excess of 10 percent thereafter, for GERD with constipation is denied.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including degenerative joint disease (DJD) other than the right and left hips, a left shoulder disability, a right knee disability, a right ankle disability, and a skin condition (spider bite).

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate range of motion findings in a prior VA examination. The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his right ankle fracture is now pending and will be reviewed again with new evidence.

The Veteran's service connection claims for left ankle, left leg, and right leg disorders are remanded due to a lack of evidence of current disabilities related to his in-service injuries. The Board finds that the Veteran provided good cause for not attending the scheduled VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to determine if the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during active service, and for a VA examination to determine the current severity of his lung condition.

The Veteran's claims for left ankle bursitis, right shoulder disorder, left shoulder disorder, respiratory disorder, left hip disorder, and low back disorder have been readjudicated due to the submission of new evidence. The claims are granted.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty to assist error, requiring an examination to determine if the Veteran's current right ankle disability is related to his military service.

The Veteran's left and right ankle disabilities were denied increased ratings, while the low back condition was remanded for further evaluation.,A compensable rating for right ear hearing loss was also remanded.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss and left ankle sprain and instability have been granted service connection. The Veteran is also entitled to a higher disability rating for his left ankle condition from May 10, 2018 onwards. However, the initial compensable disability ratings for both conditions are pending further development.

The Board has granted service connection for a left ankle disability but has remanded the issue of service connection for a left knee condition.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a new VA examination to evaluate the severity of the Veteran's right ankle disability and to determine its impact on his ability to secure and follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to insufficient medical opinions regarding service connection.,Specifically, the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder (adjustment disorder) needs further evaluation by a VA examiner to determine if it is related to active duty service.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims for service connection, including hearing loss, tinnitus, PTSD, major depressive disorder, shoulder disorders, elbow disorders, wrist disorders, low back disorders, right ankle disorders, and left foot disorders. The appeal is not about service connection at all in some cases.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including right shoulder disability, left ankle and ankle disabilities, left foot and right foot disabilities, low back disability, and right elbow disability. The claim for status post left salpingectomy with scars was also denied.

The Board has reopened several service connection claims but denied others. The Veteran's hyperlipidemia claim is denied, while his fuzzy vision, headaches, right ankle disorder, left ankle disorder, right arm pain, and left wrist disorder claims are granted.