The Board found that the veteran's service-connected left ankle disability, primarily manifested by subjective complaints of pain and instability, did not meet criteria for a higher than ten percent evaluation. The RO increased the rating from zero to ten percent in September 1993 but denied an increase beyond this level.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations indicated that the veteran's left ankle disability was primarily managed with medication and support devices, with no significant functional impairment or evidence of nerve damage attributable to service-connected injury. The examiner concluded that any pain related to nerve damage could not be distinguished from the ankle sprain itself.
- Claimed conditions
- left ankle sprain injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 16, 2004
- Citation
- 0410019
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 464 · Granted: 21% (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 0410019.
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- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
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