Ankle Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and has remanded the remaining issues on appeal due to incomplete service records.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development and examination, including obtaining updated income information for pension eligibility, completing a VA Form 21-8940 for TDIU, and scheduling an ankle examination.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of hypertension, heart disorder, BPH, cervical spine degenerative disc disease with cervical muscle spasm, lumbar spine degenerative disc disease and spondylosis, bilateral upper and lower extremity neuropathy, bilateral hip degenerative arthritis, right knee DJD, right ankle condition, vision disability (glaucoma and cataracts), and acquired psychiatric disorder. The Board found that these conditions are not related to service.

The Board dismissed all appeals due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has remanded the cases due to the need for additional evidence and development, including obtaining private treatment records and worker's compensation claim information.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ankle disability, rhinitis, and migraines. The left ankle disability is related to service due to a current diagnosis of lateral collateral ligament strain and deltoid ligament sprain. Rhinitis is presumed as secondary to Gulf War environmental hazards exposure. Migraines are found to be secondary to the Veteran's service-connected obstructive sleep apnea.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on the issues of right knee, right ankle, bilateral eye, and tinnitus disabilities have been dismissed. The Board has also remanded the remaining issues: nose/sinus disability, left knee disability, cervical spine disability, right ear hearing loss, and left ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted on a direct basis. The remaining issues are remanded for further development and examination.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's left ankle disability warrants a 20 percent rating, but has remanded the issue of his lumbar spine disability for further examination and consideration.

The Board has remanded the claims for Meniere's disease, sinusitis/rhinitis, tinnitus, bilateral ankle disability, and bilateral foot disability due to additional development being necessary.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of various conditions, including a low back disability and bilateral ankle condition, has been granted with an effective date set at November 15, 1978.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for a left ankle disorder due to additional development being necessary.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee, right knee, and right ankle disabilities. The evidence is in approximate balance that these conditions began in service or are related to service.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for left ankle disability, right medial epicondylitis, skin disability and right ankle disability, as well as his earlier effective date claims. The Board also dismissed his appeal seeking service connection for bilateral hearing loss and acquired psychiatric disability. The Board remanded several issues including service connection for sleep apnea, increased ratings for right knee and ankle disabilities, and an increase in rating for right ulnar neuropathy.

The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected as they do not meet the criteria for VA purposes. The right and left ankle disabilities have been remanded due to inadequate examination.,Service connection is granted for tinnitus, with a finding that it is related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral lower extremity cold weather injury residuals, but the case is remanded for further development related to the TDIU claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's appeal should be re-docketed under the Legacy system and his March 2019 VA Form 10182 is accepted as a timely NOD for the issues on appeal. The Veteran must file a VA Form 9 substantive appeal to perfect his appeal.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability and a right ankle disability, finding that the evidence did not support a nexus to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for left ear hearing loss, left ankle disorder, and bilateral foot disorder due to insufficient examination reports. The VA audiologist is instructed to provide opinions on whether these conditions were caused by military acoustic trauma or in-service exposure to cold weather.

The Veteran's left shoulder and upper arm disability is rated at 20 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,The Veteran's right leg and ankle disability is rated at 10 percent, which also does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.