Ankle decisions — 2024

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 20 percent rating for right ankle degenerative arthritis is denied. The earliest evidence warranting the 20 percent evaluation is the VA contract examination on June 28, 2021.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for left and right ankle strain have been denied. The Board has remanded the service connection claims for left and right hip disabilities due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to inadequate medical nexus opinions provided by the VA in July 2020. The Board finds that further examination and opinion are needed to determine if his current disabilities were caused or aggravated by his active-duty service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient information regarding whether the Veteran's right ankle condition pre-existed service. The VA examiner is requested to provide an opinion on this matter.

The Board has decided to remand the service connection claims for a low back condition and right ankle sprain due to duty-to-assist errors. The TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a left ankle fracture, finding no clear and unmistakable error in the September 21, 2005 rating decision.

The Board has denied service connection for coronary artery disease and remanded the left ankle condition claim due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's initial rating for vitiligo is granted at a 10 percent level. The Board finds the evidence more nearly approximates a 10 percent disability rating for lumbosacral strain, left ankle collateral ligament sprain, right ankle collateral ligament sprain, and lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve due to static symptoms beginning February 2, 2018. The Veteran's sinusitis is remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete review of evidence and failure to obtain Social Security Administration records. The issues include bilateral hearing loss, allergic rhinitis, left ankle arthritis, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left ankle disorder and right wrist arthralgia, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability during or shortly before the pendency of the claim. The Board also found clear and unmistakable evidence that the Veteran's pre-existing right wrist fractures did not worsen beyond their natural progression during active service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including right ankle and left knee conditions, render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting evidence regarding the Veteran's left ankle injury and its relationship to service. The claim will be reconsidered with consideration of new medical opinions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including right and left ankle arthralgia, a sleep disorder, an acquired psychiatric disorder, left shoulder osteoarthritis, right knee disability, right hip OA, left hip OA, cervical spine disability, and hearing loss have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for any of these conditions.,The Veteran's claims were remanded for further action on his hypertension and GERD/hiatal hernia.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right ankle disability and right ankle scar were denied. The Board found that the criteria for a rating in excess of 20 percent for right ankle disability, and a compensable rating for right ankle scar, have not been met.

The Board has identified errors in obtaining the Veteran's Reserve service records and remanded for further development, including obtaining private treatment records. The issues of service connection for back and right ankle disabilities are being remanded due to inadequate VA medical opinions.

The Board has denied a rating for left ankle disability in excess of 10 percent and has remanded the claims for cervicothoracic spine pain, bilateral acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis, and lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection were dismissed as he did not file a Notice of Disagreement within one year of the December 2022 rating decision, and his request for an extension was denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's hypertension is remanded for further review due to lack of exposure evidence.

The Veteran's appeals for a higher rating on his right ankle disability and service connection for his left ankle condition have been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for higher staged ratings for her bilateral foot disorders, acquired psychiatric disorder, or migraine headaches.