Ankle decisions — 2022

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for his bilateral ankle disabilities and the addition of a dependent have been dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing his appeal in March 2022.

The Veteran's lumbar spine, right knee, left shoulder, and right ankle disabilities are all rated lower than the maximum allowed. The Board has remanded these cases for further development.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for right knee disability, right ankle disability, and heart disorder due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for left ankle disability was denied from September 2, 2016 to January 25, 2022.,A 20 percent rating was granted for the left ankle disability on January 25, 2022.

The Veteran's left ankle disorder is related to service, and the claim for service connection is granted.,The Veteran's granulomatous calcifications are presumptively related to her service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations due to burn pit exposure, and the claim for service connection is granted.,The Veteran's chest pain is attributable to her service-connected PTSD, and the claim for service connection is granted.,The matter regarding gynecological disorders is remanded.

The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for a right ankle disability, service connection for a right knee disability, and service connection for a back disability due to new evidence indicating worsening symptoms.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to October 15, 2015 for service connection for pes cavus of the right foot with hammertoes was denied. The Board found that November 4, 2014 is the appropriate effective date.,The Veteran's claim for a higher initial disability rating for pes cavus of the right foot with hammertoes was granted and assigned a 30 percent rating from October 15, 2015.

The Veteran's PTSD claim has been granted with a 70% rating effective November 4, 2016. The Board has remanded the remaining service connection claims for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including traumatic arthritis of the left ankle and degenerative joint disease of the thoracolumbar spine, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment prior to March 26, 2019.

The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to service connection for right ankle, left ankle, right foot, and left foot conditions due to insufficient evidence in the claims file.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for diabetic neuropathy was dismissed as the Appellant indicated she wanted to withdraw her appeal. The other issues on appeal are being remanded due to new evidence and previous instructions.

The Veteran's tension headaches are rated at 30 percent, and his TDIU is granted effective October 27, 2010. The Board found that the combination of service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment since then.

The Veteran's claim for a separate rating for urinary incontinence as a neurological manifestation of his service-connected lumbosacral strain has been denied. The Board found that the medical evidence does not support a finding that the urinary incontinence is related to his back disability. For the TDIU claim, the Veteran meets the schedular criteria but fails to provide sufficient evidence regarding the economic component as detailed by VA regulations.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right ankle disability due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination.

The Veteran's right ankle disability was rated at 10 percent prior to March 21, 2017. Effective from March 21, 2017, the rating was increased to 20 percent. From that date forward, a higher rating is denied.,Service connection for heart and hypertension disabilities are remanded, as well as an initial compensable disability rating prior to September 19, 2019, and in excess of 20 percent thereafter for service-connected lumbar spine disability.

Service connection for chronic bronchitis is granted under the PACT Act. Service connection for acquired psychiatric disorder and respiratory condition due to environmental hazard exposure are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to inadequate VA examinations and requests for retrospective medical opinions regarding range of motion during flare-ups.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity and a higher disability rating for left ankle disability has been remanded due to errors in the original decision.,There is no clear and unmistakable error found in previous decisions regarding these issues.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for the right ankle disability prior to August 24, 2017 is denied. An initial rating in excess of 10 percent for the right ankle disability from August 24, 2017 is also denied. The Board has remanded the issues regarding service connection for left ankle disability (secondary to right ankle disability), obstructive sleep apnea, and low back disability.

The Veteran's bilateral knee and ankle disabilities, as well as PTSD, are all granted due to their relationship with active service.,Service connection is established for arthritis of the left knee, right knee, left ankle, and right ankle. Additionally, PTSD related to military sexual trauma (MST) is also granted.