Ankle decisions — 2020

The Veteran's prostate condition, diagnosed as benign prostate hyperplasia, is not service-connected due to lack of a direct link between the condition and his military service.,For his lumbar spine disability, the Board found that there was no evidence supporting a finding that it began during service or was related to herbicide exposure. The Veteran's current 20% rating for this condition remains unchanged.

The Board denied service connection for a right foot disorder and a right ankle strain, finding that the Veteran did not have current disabilities or underwent in-service events, injuries, or diseases related to these conditions.

The Board denied service connection for right knee and right ankle disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a link between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board granted his claim for total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) for substitution purposes.

The Veteran's right ankle disability was restored to a 10% rating, and the reduction in his low back disability rating from 20% to 10% effective August 7, 2015 is upheld.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation on and after May 26, 2009. The Board has granted TDIU for this period.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have not been shown to preclude substantially gainful employment, and the Board denied his claim for a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) as a result of service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that there was not substantial compliance with the prior remand directives and has therefore remanded the claims for lumbar spine, left knee, and left ankle/foot disabilities due to military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected ankle disabilities render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Veteran is granted a certificate of eligibility for specially adapted housing due to his service-connected disabilities.,The Veteran's claim for a special home adaptation grant and adaptive equipment are denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions regarding her knee, hip, ankle, and spine disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for various foot and ankle conditions due to incomplete records and a need for an addendum opinion regarding the ankle.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for left ankle and right shoulder disabilities have been dismissed. The claims of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen a claim of service connection for chest pains, service connection for acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD), bilateral hearing loss, color blindness, flat feet, and neck disability are all remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for various injuries and dental disabilities due to incomplete development.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for flat feet and toe disability due to a lack of current disabilities. The claims for PTSD, right shin disability, left shin disability, low back disability, right ankle disability, and left ankle disability are remanded as there is evidence suggesting in-service injury or symptoms.,The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for thyroid, to include hypothyroidism and scars status-post thyroidectomy due to a lack of current disabilities. The claim for this condition is also remanded.

The Board has reopened the claim of entitlement to service connection for a left ankle disability and remanded it for further development.

The Veteran's second period of service from May 1986 to October 1992 was other than honorable (OTH), and his character of discharge is a bar to VA benefits.,Service connection for a pulmonary disability, including asthma and bronchitis, hepatitis C, tinea pedis, right ankle disorder, low back disorder, right shoulder disorder, and right knee disorder are all denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a disability rating greater than 20 percent for his service-connected right ankle disability.,The Board also denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for a bilateral knee disability, including as due to his service-connected right ankle disability.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for increased evaluation of scars, service connection for neck disability, bilateral foot disability, and bilateral ankle disabilities due to incomplete information in the record.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to confusion regarding imaging studies of the Veteran's right ankle, conducted by Dr. R.R. in August 2014.