Ankle decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, with the exception of those related to prostate enlargement and bladder disorder. The Board has reopened his claims for right eye disorder, left ankle disorder, tinnitus, and left eye disability due to herbicide exposure. However, these issues are being remanded as there is insufficient evidence regarding their etiology.,The Veteran's service connection claims have been granted with the exception of those related to prostate enlargement and bladder disorder. The Board has reopened his claims for right eye disorder, left ankle disorder, tinnitus, and left eye disability due to herbicide exposure. However, these issues are being remanded as there is insufficient evidence regarding their etiology.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA examination, requiring additional information on the Veteran's right ankle range of motion.

The Board has granted service connection for left ankle lateral collateral ligament sprain, right ankle lateral collateral ligament sprain, and left knee patellofemoral syndrome and strain, all of which are related to the Veteran's combat service.

The Veteran's asthma is granted as service-connected due to exposure during the Persian Gulf War. The right elbow strain, thoracolumbar spine and sacroiliac joint arthritis, right knee strain, left knee strain, PTSD, left hip arthritis, right hip arthritis, right ankle strain, and left ankle strain are all granted with appropriate ratings. Service connection for chest condition with pain and palpitations is denied. Service connection for left hand spasm and right hand spasm is also denied.

The Board has decided that the rating reduction from 20 percent to 10 percent for right ankle disability, effective December 31, 2018, was improper and has remanded this issue.

The Board has dismissed the claim of service connection for asthma as it was granted in an October 2022 rating decision. The claims for right and left ankle disabilities are remanded due to insufficient rationale provided by the VA examiner.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for left ankle disability and left knee osteoarthritis, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service or any service-connected disabilities.

The Board has denied service connection for various ankle, knee, leg, hip, shoulder, elbow, wrist, and arm disabilities on the grounds that there is no evidence of their onset in service or a relationship to any service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to issues with the initial disability rating for tinea pedis with onychomycosis, and service connection decisions for right knee disorder, low back disorder, left knee disorder, and left ankle disorder.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus claim was dismissed as it had been fully granted in a prior rating decision. The right knee, radiculopathy, and ankle disabilities were denied due to lack of service connection or aggravation by service-connected conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU on an extraschedular basis as his service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied increased disability ratings in excess of 20 percent for the service-connected bilateral ankle disabilities and a separate compensable rating for the claimed secondary neurological disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ankle and right knee conditions due to inadequate VA examinations and the need to obtain additional private treatment records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for various disabilities, including PTSD and depressive disorder, has been reopened. The Board finds that new evidence supports reopening the claim but remands the case to obtain additional records and provide medical opinions on the issues of service connection.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to address the Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 due to medication prescribed at the Tulare Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Clinic in July 2016.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lower back, left ankle, and bilateral knee conditions due to inadequate VA examination reports. The Veteran's preexisting conditions are presumed to have existed prior to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including sinusitis, rhinitis, eye disorder, bilateral hearing loss, bladder disorder, right hip disorder, left ankle disorder, right ankle disorder, and skin rash disorder have all been denied. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for any of these conditions.

The Board has granted a disability rating of 20 percent for right ankle instability, finding the severity, frequency, and duration most closely approximate moderate disability.

The Board has granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance from September 20, 2017. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities cause him to be at a high risk of falling due to numbness in his hands and feet.