Ankle decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional VA examinations to determine the functional impact of flare-ups on his right ankle, left knee, right knee, and thoracolumbar spine disorders.

The Veteran's service connection claims for a right eye disorder, bilateral hearing loss disability, headaches, jaw disorder, dental disorder, and TBI have all been denied. The evidence does not support the presence of current disabilities or link them to service.,There is no credible evidence linking any current disabilities to service.

Your appeal for a higher rating for your left ankle condition has been dismissed because the Veteran died in December 2020.

Your appeals for service connection of right foot, left foot, right ankle, and left ankle disabilities have been dismissed due to the Veteran's death. The Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate these claims at this time.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left ankle disability, finding that it was aggravated by his time on active duty.

The Veteran's appeals for earlier effective dates and increased ratings have been dismissed due to voluntary withdrawal of claims.,The Veteran was awarded TDIU based on his bipolar disorder, effective February 19, 2015.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and initial ratings have been dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing his appeals.,Service connection has been granted for residuals of left arm burn scar.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and his sleep apnea, as well as whether obesity caused or aggravated by these disabilities is a substantial factor in causing sleep apnea.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for residuals of a fracture of the left fifth metacarpal was denied as his disability is already at its highest possible rating.,Service connection claims for left and right ankle and/or foot disabilities were also denied due to lack of evidence showing these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding his service-connected Reiter’s syndrome and its residuals, including chronic joint symptoms and non-orthopedic conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to deficiencies in VA examinations, and the Veteran will be scheduled for a new VA examination to assess his left ankle disability.

The Veteran's migraines are granted a 30% rating as of April 13, 2016. The right elbow, left knee, right ankle, left wrist, and right wrist conditions are remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a TBI is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.,A rating of 20 percent for the right ankle disability prior to November 6, 2017 is granted. From November 6, 2017, a higher rating is not warranted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various foot and ankle disorders due to inadequate medical opinions regarding their etiology. The issues are not about service connection via a presumption, but rather on the merits.

The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder rotator cuff tendinopathy with degenerative joint disease. The remaining issues of entitlement to service connection for right elbow, wrist, ankle disabilities are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete documentation of his periods of active duty training (ACDUTRA) and inactive duty training (INACDUTRA). The Veteran served in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve from 1982 until his retirement in 2013, with multiple periods of ACDUTRA and INACDUTRA.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to May 3, 2019.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and disability rating due to insufficient medical opinions regarding his chest pain, bilateral leg/ankle disorder, and pseudoseizures. The issues are related as they all involve conditions stemming from or exacerbated by his service-connected pseudoseizure disorder.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for compensable disability ratings for his scar, right foot and scar, lower left ankle. The appeals are dismissed as the criteria for a compensable rating were not met.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased initial rating for a right ankle disability has been dismissed as the claim is no longer pending due to the grant of a 20 percent rating effective October 1, 2019.