The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection of low back pain secondary to his left ankle disability and a rating in excess of 20 percent for residuals of his left ankle fracture with dislocation and fusion. The veteran's left ankle disability is currently rated at 20 percent disabling.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support an increased evaluation beyond the current 20 percent rating due to marked limitation of motion, which already contemplates pain on motion.
- Claimed conditions
- Low back pain, Left ankle fracture with dislocation and fusion
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- December 21, 2000
- Citation
- 0033370
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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0033370.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for low back pain and right hip pain as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability, a 30 percent rating for migraine headaches from January 22, 2023, but denied increased ratings for dermatitis and allergic rhinitis.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for low back pain and migraines, effective October 1, 2019. The claim for sciatic nerve pain was remanded.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for DMII and PN due to diabetes, but denied service connection for low back pain.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for low back pain, left shoulder osteoarthritis, right shoulder rotator cuff, right bicep tendonitis, left bicep tendonitis, obstructive sleep apnea, and Meniere's Syndrome (vertigo) to address duty-to-assist errors.
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