Ankle decisions — 2023

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to assess the severity of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and determine if they meet the criteria for specially adapted housing or special home adaptation grant eligibility.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA examination opinions regarding whether the Veteran's right knee disability is secondary to his service-connected right ankle and/or scar disabilities.

The Board has denied service connection for a bilateral eye disability, left ankle disability, and fainting. Service connection was granted for a left knee strain with patellofemoral pain syndrome.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and service connection is being remanded due to the complexity of the issues.,For tinnitus, a higher rating is denied as it does not meet the criteria for extraschedular evaluation.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including service connection for various disabilities and compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for colon cancer.

The Board has found the Veteran's reports of in-service injuries to his right knee and left ankle credible. The claims for service connection are remanded due to inadequate examination, and a new VA examination is required.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to outstanding VA and federal medical records, as well as new examinations to assess the current severity of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board has not yet determined whether these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations are inadequate for adjudication purposes and remands the case for further development, including a new examination to assess the current severity of the left ankle disability.

The Board has remanded the claims for right and left ankle disorders, as secondary to service-connected hammertoes of the feet. An addendum VA medical opinion is needed to address whether the Veteran's current ankle disorders are related to his in-service complaints or aggravated by his service-connected hammertoes.

The Veteran's claims for tinnitus, right and left ankle disabilities, right and left knee disabilities, and right and left shoulder disabilities have been granted. The service connection is established based on direct evidence of a current disability, in-service exposure to noise, and continuity of symptoms since separation from service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a residual ankle disorder due to recurrent soft tissue infection with cellulitis of the left lower leg, finding that there is no evidence linking his current condition to his in-service cellulitis.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and are now considered. The Board has granted service connection for OSA, GERD, headaches, sinusitis, rhinitis, and throat disorder.

The Veteran's appeal for obesity and weight gain is dismissed.,Service connection for a right knee disability is granted, with the condition being secondary to service-connected left knee disabilities.,The Veteran's claim for a right ankle condition is remanded.

The Board has denied the Veteran's surviving spouse's claims for service connection for irritable bowel syndrome, sleep apnea, right ankle condition, and arthritis of the left shoulder as DIC benefits because she remarried after his death.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left ankle disability, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, left wrist disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, right shoulder disability, and left shoulder disability due to a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error.

The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder disorder, left knee disorder, low back disorder, and right ankle disorder based on the Veteran's credible statements of in-service injury and subsequent disability.

The Board has denied service connection for various conditions including a lumbar spine condition, right and left knee condition, right and left wrist condition, right and left hip condition, right and left ankle condition, and bilateral pulmonary condition. The Veteran's claims are remanded to schedule him for a VA examination regarding his bilateral plantar fasciitis.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee instability due to withdrawal by his attorney. The claim for a higher rating for left ankle lateral collateral ligament sprain was denied as there is no evidence that warrants a 20 percent evaluation based on current medical findings.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ankle, chronic sprain with instability, began during his active service and is therefore granted service connection.