The Veteran is seeking service connection for a left ankle disorder that he believes is secondary to his already service-connected closed head injury residuals with basilar skull fracture and gait ataxia. The Board has determined that additional development, including obtaining an addendum medical opinion, is necessary before the case can be fully adjudicated.
The deciding factor: The decision requires further clarification on whether the Veteran's left ankle disorder is secondary to his service-connected closed head injury residuals with basilar skull fracture and gait ataxia due to aggravation or other factors.
- Claimed conditions
- left ankle disorder, closed head injury residuals with basilar skull fracture and gait ataxia
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 17, 2015
- Citation
- 1516585
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1516585.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, left ankle disorder, and skin disorder (claimed as neurodermatitis) due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran is required to undergo additional VA examinations to determine if his current conditions are related to service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for treatment purposes only under Chapter 17 for various conditions, including cervical spine condition, right upper extremity nerve condition, left upper extremity nerve condition, headache condition, right wrist condition, left wrist condition, right elbow condition, left elbow condition, right shoulder condition, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), bilateral pes planus, right ankle disorder, left ankle disorder, and left knee disorder.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the cases for new VA examinations due to inadequate opinions in the July 2020 VA examination reports. The Veteran's right shoulder disorder, left ankle disorder, and lumbar spine disorder are being reviewed again to determine if they are related to his active duty service.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal for a higher rating for tinnitus and denied claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of left breast scars, hyperlipidemia/high cholesterol, bilateral hip disorders, and left ankle disorder.
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