Ankle decisions — 2024

The Board dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a failure to file a timely Notice of Disagreement within one year of the April 2018 rating decision.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for PTSD was denied, and his claim for TDIU was granted. The decision is based on the severity of his symptoms related to PTSD and the impact it had on his ability to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied an effective date prior to December 30, 2015 for the grant of service connection for a right ankle disorder. The Veteran's claim was not received within one year of separation from service and the earliest possible effective date is December 30, 2015.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a right ankle disability and major depressive disorder due to errors in identifying the appellant's periods of active duty and Reserve service, as well as potential aggravation of her right ankle during her Reserve service. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for right knee conditions, left knee conditions, right ankle condition, and left ankle condition due to insufficient medical opinions in the initial decision.

The Veteran's right ear condition with dizziness is granted service connection. The claims for left ear, heart, chest pain, prostate, stomach, neck, back, hip, ankle, and foot conditions are denied.

The Board has granted secondary service connection for a left ankle disability, finding that the Veteran's service-connected left foot plantar fasciitis caused or aggravated his current left ankle condition.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations conducted in August 2022 were inadequate and remanded for new examinations to determine if the Veteran's hip, shoulder, ankle, and knee disorders are related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left and right ankle disabilities, finding that they are related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee loss of flexion with pain secondary to a left knee strain, but denied service connection for right ankle pain.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant due to lack of anatomical loss or use of extremities, and his conditions are not related to exposure to burn pits, Agent Orange, Camp Lejeune, radiation, Gulf War Syndrome, or other presumptive conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right ankle disability, migraine headaches, and erectile dysfunction due to procedural errors in the initial decision-making process. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Board granted a 30 percent rating for the left shoulder disability and separate 10 percent ratings for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy prior to May 2, 2024. The claims for increased ratings for the ankle and lumbar strain were denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left ankle disability, finding that there is no evidence of injury during service and no nexus between his current left ankle disability and his service-connected right ankle disability.

The Veteran's service connection claims for intervertebral disc syndrome, left hip osteoarthritis, right knee disability, bilateral ankle disability, and headaches have been granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, bilateral pes planus, left ankle disability, and right ankle disability are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors in prior decisions.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected chronic hand sprain with index and long finger pain, chronic left hand sprain with thumb pain, and right ankle lateral collateral ligament sprain have been denied. The current ratings are considered appropriate based on the evidence provided.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is denied as there is no evidence of a chronic condition in service or within one year after discharge, and the current condition is not related to any incident during service.,Service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy from November 6, 2020 is granted as it is due to his service-connected back disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate medical opinions in the August 2021 VA examination and opinion. The claims will be reviewed again with a new examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left ankle, right ankle, and left knee disabilities due to a duty to assist error in failing to obtain relevant private treatment records and an inadequate VA examiner's opinion. The Veteran is also asked to provide any additional records related to his treatment during periods of active duty.