The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral ankle and hammertoe disorders are not related to his service-connected lumbar spine disability, and therefore denied both claims.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no evidence of a direct causal relationship between the Veteran's lumbar spine disability and his bilateral ankle or hammertoe disabilities, and opined that these conditions were more likely due to other factors such as venous insufficiency.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral ankle disorders, bilateral hammertoe disorders
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 19, 2012
- Citation
- 1239692
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 1239692.
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)
New and relevant evidence has been received to warrant readjudication of the claims of service connection for bilateral ankle disorders. The Veteran's claim will be readjudicated in order to address the new evidence of record.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that side effects from prescribed medications contributed substantially and materially to his accidental motorcycle collision resulting in fatal injuries.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for cervical spine, bilateral hip, bilateral ankle, gastrointestinal disorder, and hypertension was withdrawn by the appellant. The TDIU rating claim was denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral ankle disorders, diabetes mellitus, type II, a heart disorder, a right shoulder disorder, hypertension, a low back disorder, bladder cancer, and left and right lung disease, to obtain additional evidence regarding the Veteran's toxic exposure during service.
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