Ankle Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating of his left wrist sprain disability and service connection for a left ankle disability is remanded due to duty to assist errors.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The claims for left shoulder, left knee, and left ankle disabilities are remanded due to procedural errors in the original decision.

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's left ankle, left knee, right hip, lumbar spine, and cervical spine disabilities are related to his service-connected motor vehicle accident. As such, service connection for these conditions is granted.

Service connection for PTSD, a bilateral ankle disability, and a disability manifested by shortness of breath other than asthma was denied. The Veteran's TDIU claim was dismissed as the AOJ had already granted eligibility for treatment under 38 U.S.C. § 1702 in an earlier decision.,TDIU claim was dismissed because the AOJ had already granted the Veteran's eligibility for treatment under 38 U.S.C. § 1702, which effectively resolved this issue.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, specifically failing to provide a VA examination as required by McLendon v. Nicholson (2006). The Veteran is entitled to such an examination and medical opinion.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on six separate conditions has been dismissed due to the withdrawal of the appeal by his authorized representative.

The Board has remanded two issues: entitlement to a TDIU based on service-connected left ankle conditions and an earlier effective date for DEA benefits. The Veteran's medical records need to be reviewed, and a retrospective opinion regarding the severity of his left ankle conditions is required.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various musculoskeletal and gastrointestinal conditions are granted. The claim for obstructive sleep apnea is denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral lateral ankle collateral ligament sprain as secondary to her service-connected disabilities due to incomplete medical evidence. The examiner is required to provide an opinion on whether the Veteran's sprains were caused or aggravated by her service-connected conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including a mental disorder and joint pain in multiple body parts. The evidence did not support current diagnoses or show that these conditions had their onset during service.

The Veteran's claims for an increased initial disability rating for left ankle strain and service connection for a left knee condition are being remanded due to duty-to-assist errors. The case will be reconsidered with new evidence.

The Board has dismissed all claims related to service connection and increased disability ratings, including those for PTSD, right shoulder strain, right ankle tendinosis, facial scarring due to PFB, eczema, bilateral hearing loss, chronic left wrist disability, left ankle sprain, and bilateral eye conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis with IVDS, spinal stenosis, and spondylolisthesis, left ankle sprain and closed fracture of lateral malleolus, and right ankle sprain were denied. The rating decision assigned a 40% evaluation for the lumbar spine condition.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including PTSD and tinnitus, need further development due to a lack of an informal DRO telephone conference. The Veteran is requested to schedule an informal DRO hearing.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to incomplete records and issues with obtaining medical opinions. The right ankle disability, asthma, and hemorrhoids claims are all being reviewed.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ankle and left knee conditions, finding that these conditions began during his military service and have continued symptomology.

The Veteran's appeals for higher ratings for his service-connected left ankle disability and scar on the left ankle are being remanded due to incomplete records from a Department of Virginia Correctional facility. The AOJ must obtain these records and readjudicate the claims.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral ankle and foot conditions due to a lack of evidence showing an in-service event, injury, or disease related to these conditions.

The Veteran's current right ankle disability is not attributable to her period of service, and the claim for service connection has been denied.

The Board has granted service connection for right ankle, left ankle, right hip, and right knee disabilities based on continuity of symptomatology since active duty service.