Ankle Board decisions

The Veteran's sinusitis disability is granted with a rating of 30 percent. The right and left ankle disabilities are remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are of sufficient severity to produce unemployability as defined by regulation, and the Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for his left ankle disability, finding that it was aggravated by service despite a pre-existing condition.

The Veteran's right knee disability, both ankle disabilities (deltoid ligament sprain), and PTSD have been granted service connection. The Veteran is now rated at 50 percent for his PTSD, with increased evaluations for the ankle disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for right ankle strain, right knee pain, and complex regional pain syndrome with traumatic arthritis, right foot due to a duty to assist error in adjudicating her September 2019 claim for a temporary total evaluation following her right ankle surgery. The issues are now inextricably intertwined as the Veteran testified that these conditions are all related.

The Veteran's bilateral knee osteoarthritis is granted service connection. However, his right and left ankle osteoarthritis claims are denied as there is no evidence of in-service injury or chronic symptomatology.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew their appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran, which may affect the claim for service connection of ankle disability. The case will be reviewed again with a new medical examination.

The Veteran does not meet the criteria to qualify for a specially adapted housing or home adaptation grant due to his service-connected disabilities and does not have a permanent total disability rated as 100 percent disabling.

The Board has dismissed the appeal as it cannot be in both systems simultaneously due to an existing legacy appeal for similar issues.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for two broken legs and two crushed ankles is being remanded due to the submission of new evidence. The Board will consider whether these conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal regarding the reduction of his disability rating for degenerative joint disease of the right ankle from 20 percent to 10 percent, effective April 1, 2019 is remanded due to procedural issues.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for various knee and ankle conditions, as well as degenerative arthritis of the spine with spondylolisthesis, were denied. The evidence did not show that any of these conditions warranted a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Veteran's death is being remanded for a complete review of his VA file to determine if he was in receipt of service-connected benefits at the time of his death, which would affect his eligibility for burial benefits. The appeal will be reconsidered based on this new information.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on multiple conditions have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal.

The Board has determined that the claims for higher ratings and entitlement to TDIU must be remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors, specifically regarding the left fibula disability. The Veteran's other left leg disabilities were examined, but not his left fibula disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of his lumbar spine disorder, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left and right ankle disorders, and erectile dysfunction. The Veteran will be afforded new VA examinations to determine these issues.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service connection claims for various orthopedic disabilities should be remanded due to a duty to assist error. The claims will now include medical opinions considering the Veteran's lay contentions about his in-service pain and duties.

The Board has granted service connection for recurrent right ankle injury residuals including degenerative joint disease and recurrent lumbosacral spine injury residuals including mechanical low back pain and lumbosacral strain, finding that the conditions were initially manifested during active service.

The Board has granted service connection for low back degenerative disc disease, left lower extremity radiculopathy, left hip strain, and left knee degenerative arthritis with left knee strain, all secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left ankle disability.