The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for left ankle and shoulder disorders, as well as an initial compensable rating for residuals of a fracture of the left fifth toe, are denied due to lack of current evidence supporting these conditions.
The deciding factor: There is no current medical evidence of record indicating the presence of a left ankle or left shoulder disorder. The veteran's service records show only one incident where he reported an injury to his left ankle during service in 1992, but post-service medical records do not confirm any ongoing disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Left ankle disorder, Left shoulder disorder, Residuals of fracture of the left fifth toe
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 9, 2003
- Citation
- 0311857
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,977 · Granted: 27% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 0311857.
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 Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, left ankle disorder, and right ankle fracture are all granted service connection. The right ankle fracture is remanded for a higher disability rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for acquired psychiatric disorder, left shoulder disorder, and right shoulder disorder are being remanded because they are inextricably intertwined with the implementation of his award for chronic osteomyelitis of the right lower extremity with a BKA.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's GERD, elbow disorders, shoulder disorders, low back disorder, hip conditions, and knee conditions are being remanded for further examination and opinion to address the etiology of these conditions.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for back, left knee, and left ankle disabilities as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right knee tendinitis.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.