Ankle decisions — 2025

The Board is remanding all issues for development due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including failure to obtain relevant service and VA treatment records.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection and increased evaluations, resulting in the dismissal of all issues.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for right knee and right ankle disabilities due to a failure by the AOJ to substantially comply with previous remand directives.

The Veteran's service-connected left knee and right ankle disabilities precluded him from obtaining or maintaining gainful employment consistent with his educational and occupational background, granting a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Board denied service connection for various musculoskeletal disorders and granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for a left ankle disability due to any of the following service-connected disabilities, including bilateral pes planus, right knee limitation of flexion, left knee limitation of flexion, lumbosacral strain with arthritis, radiculopathy in the right lower extremity, and radiculopathy in the left lower extremity, for additional VA examination addendum opinions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, as well as remanded several other claims.

The Board granted service connection for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected low back strain, a right ankle disability as secondary to her service-connected left ankle sprain, and assigned a rating of 20 percent for the Veteran's low back strain.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions due to the Veteran's participation in a toxic exposure risk activity during his service in Afghanistan, as required by the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 (PACT Act).

The appeal for service connection for hearing loss, abdominal pain, and a left eye disorder was dismissed due to untimely filing of the Notice of Disagreement. The appeals for other conditions were denied based on lack of evidence linking them to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD, finding that his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board granted service connection for right and left knee disabilities, a left ankle disability, a gastrointestinal disability as secondary to a psychiatric disorder, and a migraine headache rating of 50 percent. The earlier effective date claim was denied.

The Board granted service connection for left ankle disability manifested by pain and disability manifested by chest pain, but denied service connection for hemoptysis and left lower extremity radiculopathy. The claims of service connection for dizziness as secondary to tinnitus and right lower extremity disability were remanded.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating for a left ankle disability, service connection for a right ankle condition, and service connection for prostate cancer, multiple myeloma, and Parkinson's disease. The claims were also remanded for further development.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including left and right knee, shoulder, back, ankle, elbow, and sciatica conditions, due to a failure to provide adequate VA examinations and incomplete verification of National Guard service.

The Board denied service connection for a vision disability and remanded claims for back, neck, headache, ankle, respiratory, and dental disabilities.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral pes planus, left ankle stress fracture, right ankle stress fracture, left leg shin splints, and right leg shin splints to provide the Veteran with adequate VA examinations.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals related to service connection and higher rating for various conditions, including PTSD, degenerative arthritis of the spine, eczema, left ankle disorder, migraine headaches, and nose bleeds.

The Board granted a 20 percent rating for the Veteran's residuals of a left ankle fracture, service connection for a right ankle disability, and service connection for a psychiatric disability.

The Board denied higher initial ratings for posterior tibial tendinitis of each ankle and remanded claims for service connection for aggravation of existing bilateral pes planus and bilateral plantar fasciitis, including as due to a service-connected disability.