The Board denied service connection for a bilateral ankle disorder as there was no evidence showing the current condition was causally related to active service.
The deciding factor: The weight of the competent evidence did not show that the veteran's currently diagnosed bilateral ankle disorder was causally related to active service, and an April 2008 VA examiner found that the ankle sprains incurred during service were acute in nature and did not result in a chronic condition or disability.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral ankle disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 26, 2009
- Citation
- 0902647
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 a right knee disability and denied service connection for right shoulder scars. The claims for peripheral neuropathy of the left thumb, a right ankle disorder, and a left ankle disorder were remanded.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for onychomycosis (bilateral toenail fungus) and remanded the claims for GERD, chest pain, and an acquired eye disorder.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for lumbar spine, bilateral knee, hip, shoulder, and ankle disorders as they are not shown to be causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident during service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date prior to November 8, 2011, for service connection of a bilateral ankle disorder.
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.