The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right foot/ankle disability, specifically degenerative arthritis of the right ankle, was denied as there is no competent evidence showing current diagnosis or a link to his active service.
The deciding factor: There is no current diagnosis of a right foot disability and the Veteran's right ankle disability, diagnosed as degenerative arthritis, did not manifest during service or within one year post-service. The examiner opined that the current right ankle disability was more likely related to work-related causes rather than active service.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative arthritis of the right ankle
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 13, 2013
- Citation
- 1329388
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 1329388.
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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