Ankle decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and evaluation of his right shoulder, right hand, left hand, left ankle, and right ankle disabilities due to inadequate examinations in previous VA evaluations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to failure to schedule VA examinations. The Veteran was scheduled for VA examinations in March 2022, but refused them and they were cancelled. The Veteran requested rescheduling, which was granted, but he did not attend the rescheduled examinations.

The Board has dismissed all issues related to the Veteran's right ankle and left knee disabilities due to a withdrawal of appeal by the appellant.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the severity of his low back condition and right ankle disability, as well as to determine if these conditions approximate an evaluation for ankylosis.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and has remanded the remaining claims due to outstanding VA treatment records and need for additional examinations.

The Board has remanded the cases due to a lack of compliance with previous instructions and inextricability with another issue.

The Board has denied service connection for a left ankle condition and remanded the claim of service connection for PTSD. The Veteran's claims are currently pending due to insufficient evidence regarding his in-service stressors.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions were denied as there was no current diagnosis or established link to service.,Right knee osteoarthritis and left knee osteoarthritis were also denied due to lack of evidence linking the conditions to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have been granted, including a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to his service-connected conditions. The initial compensable ratings for bilateral hearing loss and residual scar associated with right knee disability were denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left ankle disability has been reopened and granted. The Board found that the evidence was in equipoise, thus finding it at least as likely as not that the Veteran's left ankle disability had its onset or etiologically related to his service.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions did not prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to June 7, 2013. Therefore, the Board denied an earlier effective date for TDIU.

The Veteran requested to withdraw his appeal for an initial compensable rating for right ankle scars, leading to the dismissal of this case.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral lower extremity disability, including PVD and bilateral ankle spurs, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current conditions and military service.

The Veteran's left ankle disability was rated as 20 percent prior to November 8, 2018; and in excess of 30 percent thereafter. The Board denied a higher rating for the left ankle disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for her avascular necrosis of talus, residuals of a fracture right ankle with degenerative arthritic changes. The appeal was based on marked limited motion of the right ankle without ankylosis.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right and left ankle disabilities due to conflicting medical opinions regarding their relationship to service-connected foot disabilities. The Veteran's attorney argues that self-treatment of ankle pain should be considered in determining whether his current ankle conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various disabilities, including bilateral foot, wrist, ankle, knee, groin injury with residual erectile dysfunction, TBI with headaches, lumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, and bilateral hearing loss disability, have been denied as the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated during active duty service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for a higher rating of right ankle sprain, leading to the dismissal of this case.

The Board has granted a TDIU due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, finding that he is unable to secure and maintain gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to outstanding records and inadequate medical opinions. The AOJ is instructed to obtain all relevant records, including STRs and private treatment records, and seek new medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's claimed disabilities.