The Veteran's service-connected chronic right and left ankle sprains have been granted. Service connection for a lung condition, claimed as residuals of pneumonia, has not been established. The Veteran's low back disability is rated at 10 percent prior to September 29, 2009, but no higher evaluation is warranted. GERD evaluations are also denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service records do not show any chronic lung condition or residuals of pneumonia during service. The current diagnosis of a lung condition is attributed to the Veteran's smoking history and does not meet the criteria for service connection under VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- Chronic right ankle sprain, Chronic left ankle sprain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 4, 2011
- Citation
- 1108695
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 1108695.
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 service connection for bilateral hearing loss and sinusitis, granted service connection for tinnitus, and remanded claims related to the right ankle, low back, and residuals of a right triquetral fracture.
- Denied
The Veteran's chronic right ankle sprain is rated at 10 percent since June 5, 2020, and denied for an evaluation in excess of this level.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability has been rated as noncompensable since September 2021.
- Granted
The Veteran's left ankle disability is rated at a 20 percent rating for marked limitation of motion, the maximum schedular rating available.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent prior to August 11, 2020. The Board granted a TDIU effective January 19, 2013.
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