The Board has determined that new and material evidence was not submitted to reopen the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral ankle disorders. The RO previously denied these claims in November 1997, and the veteran did not appeal this decision. The current manifestations of bilateral foot disabilities were also found not to be related to active military service.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not support a finding that the veteran's current bilateral ankle or foot conditions are linked to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral ankle disorders, bilateral foot disabilities
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 8, 2002
- Citation
- 0213908
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 0213908.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to his service-connected bilateral foot and knee disabilities.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's bilateral foot disabilities, to include pes planus with plantar fasciitis, are granted. The claims for service connection for sciatica/radicular pain in the right and left legs were denied.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for cervical spine, bilateral hip, bilateral ankle, gastrointestinal disorder, and hypertension was withdrawn by the appellant. The TDIU rating claim was denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for bilateral foot disabilities to obtain additional evidence, including military personnel records and a medical opinion.
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