The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his right ankle disability was denied as the evidence did not support a higher rating than 20 percent.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no more than mild neurologic manifestations and noted that there is no evidence of ankylosis or nonunion requiring a brace, which are necessary for higher ratings under relevant diagnostic codes.
- Claimed conditions
- fracture of distal tibia and fibula, degenerative arthritis of the right ankle, anterior tarsal syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- September 30, 2009
- Citation
- 0937291
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 0937291.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to inadequate medical opinions in the original decision. The issues of service connection are being addressed.
- Dismissed
The Board has granted service connection for various hip, ankle, and knee conditions. However, the Veteran did not appeal these decisions to the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC), so the claims are dismissed.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection were dismissed as he withdrew his appeal with respect to all the issues.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various ankle and knee disorders, as well as hypertension and sleep apnea due to a duty to assist omission regarding missing service treatment records.
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