The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a right ankle disability related to service and his lumbosacral strain is currently rated at 20 percent, but there is no evidence of any new or material evidence to reopen the claim. The appeal for an increased rating remains denied.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the veteran's current right ankle condition was not related to service and his lumbosacral strain does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation as it is currently rated at 20 percent.
- Claimed conditions
- Lumbosacral Strain, Right Ankle Sprain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- April 30, 2003
- Citation
- 0308200
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 0308200.
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 denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, except for a 20 percent rating for lumbosacral strain.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an increased evaluation of 70 percent for the service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but remanded other issues for further development.
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for posttraumatic stress disorder with substance abuse and a rating in excess of 10 percent for lumbosacral strain.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for sinusitis and a right hip disorder but granted a rating of 40 percent for lumbosacral strain effective from February 7, 2024.
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