The Board has determined that the veteran's left ankle disorder existed prior to his entering service and therefore, the presumption of soundness does not apply. The evidence clearly shows that the pre-existing condition was not aggravated by service. As a result, the claim for service connection is denied.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not indicate an increase in severity of the underlying left ankle disorder during service, and the veteran's statements regarding worsening of the condition are not considered probative due to the presumption of soundness at entry into service.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Ankle Disorder
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 9, 2000
- Citation
- 0003215
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0003215.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, left shoulder disorders, right shoulder disorder, cervical spine disorder, left ankle disorder, allergic rhinitis, and bilateral knee disorders, prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and work history. The Board granted the TDIU claim based on these conditions.
- Granted
The Veteran's IBS has been granted a 30 percent initial disability rating. Service connection was denied for other claimed conditions.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for erectile dysfunction and special monthly compensation based on loss of use of a creative organ, while remanding the claims for obstructive sleep apnea, lumbar spine disorder, left ankle disorder, and diabetes mellitus type 2.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD with alcohol use disorder and cannabis use was granted an initial evaluation of 70 percent. Other service connection claims were denied or remanded.
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