Ankle decisions — 2024

The Veteran's right ankle disability is granted a 20% rating, while the left ankle disability remains at a 10% rating.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim of service connection for a right ankle condition should be remanded due to a duty to assist error.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been denied.,No effective dates earlier than the specified dates were granted.

The Veteran's left ankle disability is rated at 20 percent since September 3, 2020. An effective date of September 3, 2020, for the grant of service connection has been granted.

The Veteran's right ankle and right wrist disabilities have been granted service connection as they are found to be related to her active duty service.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection for various conditions due to the Veteran's death during the appeal process.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for irritable bowel syndrome, sphincter impairment, a skin rash, left shoulder degenerative arthritis with tendinitis, and left ankle degenerative arthritis have all been denied. The Board has also remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for vertigo and sinusitis/rhinitis.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is pending.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and earlier effective dates have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal. The claims are being remanded for further review.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection were denied. The Board found no clear and unmistakable error in the March 2016 rating decision denying IBS, as there was no evidence of a current diagnosis at that time. For bilateral plantar fasciitis and ankle ligament instability, the claim was denied based on finality of the January 2001 rating decisions.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus is currently rated at 30 percent, and the claim for an increased rating has been denied.,Service connection for a right ankle condition has been granted. Service connection for left ankle condition remains pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability for which service connection can be granted, specifically left ear hearing loss. The issues of service connection for left knee and ankle disabilities are remanded due to inadequate nexus opinions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to a duty to assist error and the need to adjudicate secondary service connection for ankle disabilities. The AOJ is instructed to ensure all VA treatment records have been associated with the claims file, and then to adjudicate the secondary service connection claim.

The Board has determined that there were errors in the decision-making process and requires additional examinations to determine if service connection can be granted for various conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ankle and right foot conditions, finding that there is no evidence of a direct relationship between her current diagnoses and her active-duty service.

The Board has denied service connection for left knee, left hip, and bilateral ankle disabilities due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or a service-connected disability. The claim for sleep apnea is remanded as the Veteran's lay statements suggest a possible in-service onset.

The Board has granted service connection for a left ankle disability and a right knee disability, finding that the Veteran's conditions are etiologically linked to his active-duty service.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's left ankle sprain is related to his active-duty service in the U.S. Air Force and should be granted service connection on a direct basis, but there are issues with the current VA medical opinion regarding secondary service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left ankle disability, left heel disability, and ear drainage have all been denied. The Board found no current disabilities that meet the criteria for these conditions based on VA standards.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU and DEA benefits prior to December 7, 2020 is denied as there was no formal or informal claim received prior to that date. The effective dates for the TDIU and DEA benefits are both set at December 7, 2020.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ankle and right wrist disabilities are not related to service, as there is no evidence of a nexus between his current diagnoses and any in-service injury or disease.,Both conditions were diagnosed many years after service, with no contemporaneous records indicating symptoms during active duty.