Ankle decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the claims for a left ankle disability and posttraumatic headaches due to insufficient development. The Veteran's current left ankle disability is not shown to have had its onset in service or be related to active military service, while his right knee disability may be related to service based on medical history provided by VA treatment records.

The Board denied service connection for left and right shoulder disabilities, finding no evidence of a nexus to service.,Service connection was also denied for a left ankle disability due to lack of medical records indicating the presence of such condition.

The Board denied service connection for a right ankle disability, including pain and arthritis, finding no causal relationship between the Veteran's current condition and his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for a bilateral shoulder disability, low back disability, and right ankle disability due to additional development being required.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart condition, left ankle residuals, tonsillitis, seborrheic dermatitis, and right ear hearing loss were denied as the evidence did not show these conditions were related to his active duty service.

The Veteran has been rendered unable to obtain or retain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities since June 10, 2015.

The Board has ordered the case back to the AOJ for further development and an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of the left ankle condition.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher initial rating for left ankle degenerative joint disease with history of shin splints and stress fracture was denied. The disability is currently rated at 20 percent, effective May 26, 2017.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's chest and left ankle disabilities, including a lack of medical records and an inadequate examination. The Veteran is presumed sound upon entry into service for his left ankle disability.

The Veteran's right knee and ankle disabilities have been granted initial ratings, with the right knee receiving separate ratings for painful extension and instability. The right ankle disability received a 20 percent rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and MDD. The RO must attempt to corroborate the Veteran’s in-service stressors and schedule a psychiatric examination to determine the nature and etiology of any current psychiatric disorders found.

The Veteran's TDIU appeal is dismissed as moot because he has a combined schedular 100 percent disability rating for his service-connected disabilities and SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s) is inapplicable.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The VA determined that the evidence did not warrant higher ratings for left femur impairment, left hip flexion impairment, left hip rotation impairment, and left ankle osteochondritis of the talar dome.

The Veteran's spine disability is rated at 40 percent, which does not meet his contention for a higher rating.,His hypertension has been rated at 10 percent and does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly assess the Veteran's service-connected musculoskeletal and pulmonary conditions, including conducting new VA examinations to evaluate the severity of his lumbar spine strain, right shoulder degenerative joint disease, right knee chondromalacia patella, right ankle strain (status-post surgery), and pulmonary sarcoidosis.

The Board denied an initial evaluation in excess of 20 percent for the Veteran's left ankle disability, finding that the maximum schedular rating has already been assigned.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his service-connected disabilities are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of the record.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his right and left shoulder disabilities, right and left ankle disabilities, right and left knee disabilities, and pain disorder are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's service-connected thoracolumbar degenerative joint disease and left ankle injury are rated at 10% and 20%, respectively, prior to September 18, 2019. After that date, the rating for back condition is increased to 20%. Service connection for hypertension was granted as secondary to service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone do not render him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment, as he has the education, skills, work history, and vocational training to perform a wide variety of suitable work.