The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right ankle disability and found that new and material evidence had been submitted. The knot on his forehead was also found to be service-connected. However, the reduction in rating for hemorrhoids is considered void ab initio due to lack of consideration of prior examinations or complaints of increased symptomatology. Other issues remain pending.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claim for a right ankle disability, finding that it was related to an in-service injury. The knot on his forehead was also found to be service-connected due to its occurrence during basic training. However, the reduction of the rating for hemorrhoids from 10% to noncompensable was deemed improper as it did not consider prior examinations or complaints of increased symptomatology.
- Claimed conditions
- Right ankle disability, Neck disability, Hemorrhoids
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 29, 2015
- Citation
- 1532204
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 1532204.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal for an increased evaluation of his hemorrhoids, so the case is dismissed.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of January 10, 1997, for a 10% disability rating for his right ankle disability is denied as there was no CUE in the previous decisions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's right ankle disability is related to his service. The VA examiner must provide an opinion on this matter.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has dismissed the appeals to reduce disability ratings for bilateral hearing loss and right ankle disabilities. The case is REMANDED for a VA examination regarding the service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD.
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