Ankle decisions — 2022

The Board denied service connection for a neck disability, granted an initial 50 percent rating for left upper extremity disability, and denied increased ratings for left ankle disability and left ankle instability. The TDIU claim was also denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for his service-connected right ankle disability, finding that there was no CUE in the August 1976 rating decision and that the evidence did not support a finding of undebatable error.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from engaging in substantially gainful employment prior to March 3, 2018. The Board granted a TDIU on an extra-schedular basis.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee conditions, as well as left and right ankle and shoulder conditions have been granted.,All four of the Veteran's claimed conditions are considered to be related to her active military service.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection and TDIU are being remanded due to the possibility of missing original claims filed at the time of his discharge in September 1992.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding service connection for major depressive disorder, bipolar II disorder, and left ankle disorder. The Board dismissed the appeal as a result.

The Veteran's application to reopen claims for service connection for right and left foot disorders, a back disability, loss of voice including due to chronic laryngitis, and a left hand disorder were denied. The claim for increased ratings for the right knee instability and lost flexion was granted. A TDIU from February 26, 2015, to March 30, 2016, was granted.

The Board has decided to remand four issues related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities: insomnia disorder, gout, pes planus, and left ankle collateral ligament sprain. The reasons for this are that VA examinations were not conducted in a timely manner and there is conflicting information regarding the current severity of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various foot, ankle, knee, and spine conditions due to insufficient evidence in the record. The Veteran is not presumed to have had these conditions during his active service.

The Board has granted a separate extraschedular rating of 10 percent for the Veteran's left ankle instability, but has remanded the issue of entitlement to TDIU due to inadequate notice and development.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for left and right ankle disorders, finding that the symptoms are due to non-service-connected venous insufficiency. The claim for arthritis of the lumbar spine is granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of residuals of left foot calcaneus stress fracture, right fractured talus and ankle injury, and low back disability have been remanded due to insufficient evidence.

Your claim for a left ankle disability has already been granted and is no longer under consideration.

The Veteran's service-connected left ankle disability is rated at 20 percent throughout the appeal period, which represents a full grant of benefits for this condition.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is granted a 20% rating effective May 17, 2016. The left ankle and left knee disabilities are also granted 20% ratings with specific conditions noted for each.

The Board denied service connection for a nasal disability and a right ankle disability, finding that the evidence did not support a causal relationship to service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for left and right foot disabilities, heart disability, ankle disabilities, and pseudofolliculitis barbae have been granted. The claim of reopening for a heart disability has also been granted. However, the issues regarding left and right ankle disabilities and left leg disability are still pending as they require further examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hallux valgus, left ankle disability (pain), and right ankle disability (pain) as secondary to his service-connected bilateral pes planus. The Board found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to service or to his service-connected pes planus.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to inadequate VA medical opinions regarding the Veteran's claimed disabilities.