Ankle Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate examination opinions and failure to address the Veteran's lay statements regarding his symptoms.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to missed VA examinations and lack of notice regarding available examination locations. The issues include evaluations for left knee sprain, chondromalacia, and subluxation; evaluation for left ankle disability; and TDIU.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to new evidence not being considered 'pertinent' as defined by VA regulations. The Veteran's claims of service connection for chronic residuals from a left lower extremity insect bite and a right ankle disorder are denied.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a respiratory disorder, headaches, depression and anxiety, bilateral foot disability, lower back condition, and bilateral ankle disability due to inadequacies in the VA examination reports.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate statement of reasons or bases for denying TDIU. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral pes cavus, RSD of the right foot and ankle, and RSD of the left foot and ankle, may preclude substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran meets the schedular criteria for a TDIU, and his service-connected conditions have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's left ankle disability is characterized by moderate limitation of motion during the appeal period, and he has had a 10 percent rating for the entire appeals period. The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected chronic left ankle strain.

The Veteran's left ankle disability is rated at 10 percent, but he contends for a higher rating. The Board finds the evidence does not support a higher rating under either old or new criteria.,Service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are denied as there is no in-service event, injury, or disease that could be linked to these conditions.

The Veteran's scar on the top of his head is rated at 30 percent, with a separate 10 percent rating for painful scars. The Veteran also received TDIU benefits effective January 14, 2021.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and TDIU due to incomplete VA medical opinions that did not address the Veteran's statements regarding his in-service injury and history of his conditions.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including instability and meniscus tear, is rated at 20% prior to March 18, 2014. From May 1, 2015, his right knee replacement is rated at 60%. The left knee replacement from July 1, 2016, also receives a 60% rating.,The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted effective September 29, 2006, due to the combined effect of multiple service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is rated at the highest schedular rating, and an extraschedular evaluation has been denied. The Veteran also does not meet criteria for SMC based on loss of use of his foot or TDIU prior to October 17, 2017.

The Veteran's right ankle disability was granted a 20 percent rating, but not higher.,The Veteran's left ankle disability was denied a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board denied additional attorney fees based on the past-due benefits awarded in a March 2021 rating decision, as the appellant is already in receipt of the full pre-withdrawal amount.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for the claims of service connection for a right ankle condition, a right knee condition, anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and private medical records. The Veteran is also to be provided with VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed back, right ankle, right shoulder, left knee, and right knee disorders.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on the merits have been dismissed due to withdrawal. The Board has remanded several issues for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's initial ratings for thoracic strain, right ankle disability, and psychiatric disability have been denied. The case is remanded for further development.,The Veteran's TDIU claim has been remanded.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his service-connected left ankle disability is remanded due to the need for a VA examination and the need to obtain outstanding VA treatment records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left ankle disorder, finding that his preexisting condition did not worsen in service and was not aggravated by service. The arthritis is considered to have clearly existed before service and has been the natural progression of the pre-service injury.