Ankle Board decisions

The veteran's service-connected left ankle disability is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on ankylosis.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for neurological damage to the feet and ankles, a compensable rating for skin disease of the hands and penis, and a compensable rating for callosities of the feet. The reasons given were that there was no evidence linking these conditions to service or service-connected disabilities.

The VA has determined that the veteran's service-connected left ankle sprain does not warrant a rating higher than 10 percent.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral ankle disability as his claim is not well-grounded.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for arthritis of ankles, knees and back as secondary to his right flat foot with hallux valgus and arthritis. The issue regarding bilateral hip replacement is remanded.

The Board denied service connection for the claimed left shoulder disorder, pilonidal cyst residuals, and right ankle disorder due to lack of competent medical evidence linking these conditions to active service.

The veteran is granted a certificate of eligibility for assistance in acquiring specially adapted housing due to service-connected conditions affecting multiple joints, including the right hip and left hip. The special home adaptation grant claim is denied as it would be precluded by the benefits already awarded under section 2101(a).

The Board has dismissed the appeal because the veteran died during the pendency of his appeal, and thus no jurisdiction remains to adjudicate the merits of his claim.

The veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability is found to be aggravated by his service-connected left hip arthritis and arthritis as a residual of fracture of the left ankle. Service connection for this degree of aggravation is granted.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disorder, myopia, bilateral hearing loss, bilateral tinnitus, and a right ankle disorder due to lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by military service.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings, a temporary total disability rating based on convalescence, and a TDIU were denied. The appeal is not about service connection at all.

The Board has determined that the appellant's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss disability, bilateral ankle disorder, and persistent diarrhea are not well grounded. The evidence does not establish a current disability in any of these conditions as defined by VA regulations.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU was denied as it was not factually ascertainable within the year prior to September 4, 1997 that he was entitled to TDIU benefits due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, and right ankle disability. The claim for an increased rating for bilateral conjunctivitis was remanded.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral foot and ankle disability secondary to radiation therapy for plantar warts is well grounded. The RO should obtain relevant medical records, conduct further examination, and readjudicate the claim.

The VA has determined that a higher rating for the veteran's right ankle strain is not warranted based on current evidence of record.

The Board has found the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a left ankle injury and osteoarthritis to be well grounded. The RO must consider the veteran's claim for an increased rating for hypertension under both the old and new rating criteria.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the assignment of a 10 percent disability evaluation for bilateral hearing loss is granted. The issue of entitlement to a compensable evaluation for left ankle gunshot wound residuals remains pending.

The Board granted service connection for PTSD effective July 21, 1986 and a total rating based on unemployability due to service-connected disabilities effective April 15, 1989. The veteran's appeal was denied in March 1988.

The Board denied all claims of service connection for various conditions, finding that the evidence did not support a well-grounded claim for any of the listed issues.