Ankle Board decisions

The Board denied service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, left leg disability, right leg disability, and left ankle disability.,Service connection was not granted for any of the claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining retrospective opinions on the severity of his disabilities since April 2011.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and need for additional medical opinions regarding her left foot and ankle disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and a need for further examination. The issues include headaches, PTSD, brain aneurysm, TBI, balance disability, sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, dental disability, cervical spine disability, thoracolumbar spine disability, right wrist disability, left wrist disability, right thumb disability, left thumb disability, right knee disability, and left knee disability.

The Veteran's left ankle pain is not proximately caused by VA, including the surgery performed by a private physician referred by VA. The Board finds this opinion highly probative as it is based on a review of the records and reflects the evidence of other treatment records.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings was granted, with a 30 percent rating assigned for chronic gastritis, GERD, hiatal hernia, ulcer, liver enzyme condition, and cholecystectomy prior to November 1, 2018. The Veteran is denied a higher rating since that date.

The Veteran's TBI and acquired psychiatric disorder are granted service connection. The cervical spine, lumbar spine, left ankle, and right ankle disorders are remanded for further examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to missing service medical records, specifically separation examination reports. The Veteran's lay testimony and current symptoms are also considered.

The Board has granted service connection for right foot/ankle arthritis and left foot/ankle arthritis, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not related to his parachuting duties while in service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for cervical spine, lumbar spine, bilateral knee, bilateral ankle, and sleep apnea disorders have been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or nexus to service.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD, depression, and insomnia) has been remanded due to the need for further development.

The Board denied payment for non-VA medical services provided to the Veteran on June 15, 2015 due to lack of prior authorization and failure to meet emergency treatment criteria.,The Board also denied payment for non-VA medical services provided to the Veteran on September 17, 2015 because it was not found to be an emergency condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss has been reopened, and the Board finds that new and material evidence has been received. The Veteran's tinnitus is rated at 10% under Diagnostic Code 6260, which only allows a single evaluation for recurrent tinnitus. The Veteran's left ankle disability is remanded for further examination to determine its current severity.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for service-connected left ankle and left shoulder disabilities have been denied as the evidence does not support a higher rating based on current functional limitations.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for recurrent ankle and foot disabilities, as well as a rating for migraine headaches. The issues are related to in-service parachute jumps.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development, including obtaining a VA examination to assess the severity of the Veteran's right ankle tendonitis and left ankle disorder. The claims are also being considered for secondary service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a new examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected healed fractures, right tibia and fibula, with right ankle degenerative joint disease.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection for her bilateral knee, hip, and right ankle disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and treatment records.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and higher ratings are remanded due to the need for VA examinations, consideration of new evidence, and readjudication.

The Veteran's bilateral foot disorder, cervical spine degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, right knee chondromalacia, left knee chondromalacia (status post surgery), right ankle degenerative changes (post-fracture), right shoulder degenerative changes, and left shoulder status post resection of the left distal clavicle are all granted. Headaches and sinusitis also received initial rating grants.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, bilateral knee disorder, right ankle disorder, left ankle disorder, and TBI have been granted.,Service connection for hepatitis C has been denied.