Ankle Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and rating determinations related to his left ankle, low back, and right shoulder disabilities due to incomplete records and need for further examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection for right ankle disability, bilateral pes planus with bilateral plantar fasciitis, and migraines is remanded due to new evidence submitted. The TDIU issue is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the increased rating claims.

The Veteran's left ankle fracture with residuals of post-traumatic arthritis is rated at a 20 percent rating, effective prior to May 20, 2010. The right knee chondromalacia patella with painful pica band and early arthritis, as well as the left knee instability and total replacement are also rated based on their respective conditions.

The Board has dismissed all claims of service connection for various conditions as the appellant died during the appeal process.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for migraines, right ankle disability, and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities due to inadequate opinions in the VA examinations.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment since September 1, 2017. Effective September 1, 2017, a TDIU is granted.

The Board dismissed the appeal because the appellant died during the pendency of the case, and thus has no jurisdiction to make a decision.

The Board has granted a rating of 30 percent for the Veteran's right ankle disability and a maximum schedular evaluation of 50 percent for his bilateral pes cavus with plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, metatarsalgia, and neuroma.

The Veteran's tinnitus has been assigned a 10 percent evaluation throughout the appeal period, which is the maximum rating authorized for tinnitus under Diagnostic Code (DC) 6260.,The Veteran seeks service connection for bilateral hearing loss and contends that his current hearing loss was caused by in-service exposure to excessive noise. The VA examiner's opinion regarding the etiology of the current hearing loss disability is inadequate, and a new medical opinion should be obtained on remand.,The Veteran seeks service connection for right foot disability, left foot disability, bilateral shoulder disability, bilateral hip disability, bilateral knee disability, bilateral ankle disability, neck disability, and back disability. The VA examiner's opinion regarding the etiology of these disabilities is inadequate, and a new medical opinion should be obtained on remand.,The Veteran seeks service connection for right foot disability, left foot disability, bilateral shoulder disability, bilateral hip disability, bilateral knee disability, bilateral ankle disability, neck disability, and back disability. The VA examiner's opinion regarding the etiology of these disabilities is inadequate, and a new medical opinion should be obtained on remand.,The Veteran seeks service connection for right foot disability, left foot disability, bilateral shoulder disability, bilateral hip disability, bilateral knee disability, bilateral ankle disability, neck disability, and back disability. The VA examiner's opinion regarding the etiology of these disabilities is inadequate, and a new medical opinion should be obtained on remand.,The Veteran seeks service connection for right foot disability, left foot disability, bilateral shoulder disability, bilateral hip disability, bilateral knee disability, bilateral ankle disability, neck disability, and back disability. The VA examiner's opinion regarding the etiology of these disabilities is inadequate, and a new medical opinion should be obtained on remand.,The Veteran seeks service connection for right foot disability, left foot disability, bilateral shoulder disability, bilateral hip disability, bilateral knee disability, bilateral ankle disability, neck disability, and back disability. The VA examiner's opinion regarding the etiology of these disabilities is inadequate, and a new medical opinion should be obtained on remand.,The Veteran seeks service connection for right foot disability, left foot disability, bilateral shoulder disability, bilateral hip disability, bilateral knee disability, bilateral ankle disability, neck disability, and back disability. The VA examiner's opinion regarding the etiology of these disabilities is inadequate, and a new medical opinion should be obtained on remand.,The Veteran seeks service connection for right foot disability, left foot disability, bilateral shoulder disability, bilateral hip disability, bilateral knee disability, bilateral ankle disability, neck disability, and back disability. The VA examiner's opinion regarding the etiology of these disabilities is inadequate, and a new medical opinion should be obtained on remand.,The Veteran seeks service connection for right foot disability, left foot disability, bilateral shoulder disability, bilateral hip disability, bilateral knee disability, bilateral ankle disability, neck disability, and back disability. The VA examiner's opinion regarding the etiology of these disabilities is inadequate, and a new medical opinion should be obtained on remand.

The Veteran's claims for service connection, increased ratings, and TDIU are being remanded due to the failure of VA examinations scheduled in June 2019. The Board finds that proper notification was not provided to the Veteran regarding these appointments.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for asthma, left ankle disability, and right ankle disability due to potential issues with medical evidence and need for further examination.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for spine and left ankle disabilities due to insufficient medical evidence, including lack of consideration of medication effects and range of motion measurements. The Veteran will need new VA examinations to evaluate his current disability levels.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for his right ankle disability, PTSD effective date, and rash claims due to withdrawal. The Board has also remanded his claims for a right knee disability, left hip disability, and rash.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to incomplete service personnel records, specifically for his periods of active duty for training and inactive duty training in the Louisiana Air National Guard and Connecticut Air National Guard from 1989 to 2011. The VA is instructed to obtain these records.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis and scoliosis, and left ankle sprain have been denied as the evidence does not support a higher rating based on current functional impairment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right ankle disorder, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between her current condition and an in-service injury or disease.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left ankle disability was denied as there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease. The Board found that the Veteran's statements were inconsistent with his service treatment records and therefore not credible.

The Veteran's left ankle disability is rated at 10 percent prior to December 10, 2021 and remains at 10 percent thereafter. The evidence does not support a higher rating due to moderate limitation of motion.

The Veteran's PTSD with MDD, generalized anxiety disorder, and insomnia did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 70 percent prior to October 18, 2019.,Prior to August 7, 2020, the left ankle disorder did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent. From August 7, 2020, it received a 20 percent rating based on marked limited motion.