Ankle Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed traumatic brain injury and right ankle disorder did not have their onset in active service, nor are they related to any incident of service. The claims for service connection are therefore denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development and legal analysis, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and conducting specialized examinations to determine the nature of his current disabilities and their relationship to the February 2004 VA examination.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder and right ankle disabilities, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability or a link to military service.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals regarding all issues, including service connection for various ankle and knee disabilities, sinus disorder, left thumb sprain, lumbar strain, shoulder degenerative joint disease, and onychomycosis of bilateral feet. The appeal is dismissed.

The Veteran's increased rating claim for right wrist disability is granted, with a noncompensable evaluation.,The Veteran's compensable scars from the right leg are maintained. The current evidence does not support an increase in the rating.,New and material evidence has been received to reopen service connection for PTSD and left ankle disorder. These claims are remanded for further review.,Service connection is granted for PTSD, trichotillomania, and asthma due to Agent Orange exposure and smoke inhalation.,The Veteran's heart condition and spinal disorder have not been established as service-connected.,The Veteran's dental disorders do not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of a bilateral ankle disability and thus, service connection for this condition cannot be granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and an initial rating for psoriatic arthritis of the left knee are being remanded due to inadequate medical opinions in previous examinations.

The Board has determined that additional VA medical opinions are needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection, as the current opinions may be based on inaccurate or incomplete factual premises.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an appropriate VA examination for the Veteran's claimed right and left ankle conditions, as well as to obtain updated VA treatment records. The claims will be readjudicated based on all evidence.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial disability ratings have been granted, with the left shoulder rotator cuff tear with degenerative changes receiving a 20 percent rating. The right and left foot disabilities each receive a 10 percent rating prior to April 27, 2012, and in excess of 10 percent thereafter. Allergic rhinitis receives a non-compensable rating. Post-operative scars on the right ankle and left shoulder are also rated as non-compensable.

The Board has granted increased ratings for the appellant's service-connected lumbar spine disability and left ankle disability, effective from December 28, 2007. The TDIU claim is also granted.

The Veteran seeks service connection for bilateral ankle and leg disabilities, which she contends are secondary to her service-connected conditions. The Board has determined that further development is needed due to the complexity of the issues.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability for which service connection can be granted, and therefore, the claims are denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to an inadequate prior VA examination and a need for further medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's gout.

The Veteran's claimed disabilities of the left upper extremity, back, left hip, and left ankle are not service-connected as they were not shown to be related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to determine if the Veteran's left ankle disability is directly related to service, and whether it was caused or aggravated by her service-connected right ankle strain and/or her service-connected status post left femur fracture with left hip osteoarthritis.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbosacral strain, migraine headaches, left shoulder strain with glenohumeral joint osteoarthritis, left elbow strain, right elbow strain, left wrist sprain, right wrist sprain, cervical spine strain, left ankle strain, right ankle strain, and left knee strain with arthritis. The Board found that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not related to his active duty service.,The Board has granted service connection for right knee strain with arthritis. The Board found that the Veteran's current condition is at least as likely as not related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's BPPV is due to his service-connected right ankle and knee, which gave way during a fall. The Board finds that the Veteran's testimony regarding the cause of his BPPV has some tendency to make a nexus more likely than not.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left wrist sprain and right ankle sprain was received on April 10, 2014. The Board finds that the earliest claim for entitlement to benefits for both a left wrist sprain and a right ankle sprain was received on April 10, 2014.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability (to include depression and anxiety), cervical spine disability, hypertension, right knee disability, left knee disability, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, and low back disability are all related to his active service.