Ankle Board decisions

The Veteran was granted a TDIU effective July 30, 2019 due to his service-connected mental health disabilities. The Board found that the Veteran's right ankle disability and tinnitus did not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment prior to this date.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted a TDIU for the entire appeal period.

The Board has remanded the cases of service connection for a left ankle disability and bilateral hip disabilities, as well as the issue of TDIU due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand orders. The claims are now pending again.

The Veteran's right ankle condition and scar have been remanded for further development. Additionally, the Board has found that service connection is warranted for a separate rating for neurological impairment of the bilateral lower extremities.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for low back, right hip, left knee, right knee, and right ankle disabilities due to a parachute jump incident in 1963. The VA will need to schedule new examinations to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's cause of death was a cerebrovascular accident (stroke), which the VA medical opinion found to be unrelated to his service-connected conditions.,The Veteran did not meet the criteria for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 as he had countable income exceeding the maximum annual death pension rate.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his left ankle and lumbar spine stenosis were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating than 10 percent for these conditions prior to specified dates.

The Board found that the Veteran's current right ankle arthritis is not related to his in-service right ankle sprain and denied service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's right ankle sprain is rated at 10 percent, and his chronic lumbar strain prior to April 1, 2020 was also rated at 10 percent.,For the period before April 1, 2020, the Veteran's chronic lumbar strain was rated as 10 percent due to forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine greater than 30 degrees but not greater than 60 degrees.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to deficiencies in the August 2021 VA examination report, requiring a new VA examination for the Veteran's right ankle condition.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed for the issue of increased rating for lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease. The claim for service connection for seizures has been reopened, but further examination and opinion are needed to determine its etiology. Other issues remain pending.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's cause of death due to multi-substance intoxication, finding that it was a result of medication taken for treatment of service-connected disabilities and not willful misconduct.

The Veteran's back condition is granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's left ankle condition is denied as not related to his active service.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to insufficient opinions regarding the Veteran's right ankle and neck disabilities. The GERD claim remains denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left hip, left ankle, and gout disabilities as secondary to his service-connected right and left knee conditions due to lack of evidence showing a nexus between these disabilities and service.

The Board has remanded the claim for an increased rating for the service-connected right ankle disability due to inadequate examination reports and a need for extraschedular consideration.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The right shoulder, low back, left knee, and left ankle disabilities are all found to be related to her service-connected right knee disabilities.,The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The right shoulder, low back, left knee, and left ankle disabilities are all found to be related to her service-connected right knee disabilities.

The Veteran's appeals for higher ratings on his scars and ankle disability have been dismissed as he has withdrawn them.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment, and the Board finds that he is not unemployable solely due to his service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the cases due to inadequate addendum opinions from previous VA examinations regarding the Veteran's ankle disabilities.