Ankle decisions — 2025

The Board denied the Veteran's claims that five prior rating decisions were products of clear and unmistakable error. The Board found that the Veteran's arguments constituted disagreements with how the Agency of Original Jurisdiction weighed evidence in final prior decisions, which cannot rise to the level of valid CUE claims.

The Board remands the claims for increased ratings for right hip, right knee, right ankle, hyposmia, and GERD disabilities to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a neck disability, a left knee disability, and a right ankle disability due to the need for VA examinations.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD with TBI, granted separate ratings of 30 percent for BPPV and migraine headaches, and denied increased ratings for other conditions. Service connection was also denied for various disabilities.

The Board granted a 40 percent rating for degenerative disc disease (DDD) with degenerative arthritis and retrolisthesis from February 16, 2021. Other claims were denied.

The Board granted service connection for lumbar spine, left ankle, and GERD disabilities but denied higher ratings for the right shoulder and left knee disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for a left hand, right hand, left ankle, right ankle, left knee, right knee, and migraine headache disorders as there was no evidence of current disabilities or symptoms during the period on appeal.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection and initial increased ratings for various conditions, as well as remanded several issues for further development.

The Board granted service connection for left shoulder strain, right shoulder strain, early osteoarthritis of the left and right hips (secondary to a service-connected knee disability), and right and left ankle strains (secondary to a service-connected knee disability).

The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board granted service connection for several conditions, including a back condition, left lower extremity radiculopathy, chronic fatigue syndrome, and migraine headaches, among others. It also granted increased ratings for PTSD and moderate, recurrent, major depressive disorder with anxious distress.

The Board dismissed the appeals for higher ratings on all claims due to untimely Notices of Disagreement.

The Board denied service connection for right ankle, left ankle, and right hamstring disabilities as there was no evidence of a current disability. The claims for right shoulder, OSA, allergic rhinitis, and sinusitis were remanded for further development.

The Board granted service connection for left shoulder strain and left ankle sprain, finding that the evidence was in approximate balance showing injuries during active duty training (ADT) from August 12, 2023 to August 25, 2023.

The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI), and multiple musculoskeletal conditions but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied increased ratings for the veteran's left knee strain, left ankle disability, hypertension, and tinea pedis. The service connection claims for a right shoulder condition, right knee condition, and low back sprain were remanded.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions and denied increased ratings for several service-connected disabilities, as the evidence did not support a finding of current disability or aggravation related to service.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and a right ankle disability, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his in-service noise exposure and an injury during training.

The Board remands the issue of service connection for a right ankle skin condition for additional development, specifically to obtain VA medical opinions addressing all chronic skin conditions present through the life of the appeal.

The appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's service-connected left ankle disability is remanded to address the potential ameliorative effects of medication.