The Board denied service connection for bilateral ankle disability, finding that the Veteran's current right ankle lateral collateral ligament sprain (chronic/recurrent) is not related to his active duty service.,Service connection was also denied for a bilateral shoulder disability. The VA examiner concluded that DJD of the right shoulder is less likely than not related to any in-service event or injury, and there is no evidence of left shoulder condition during service.,The Board found that the Veteran's current nerve irritation manifested as left shoulder pain is proximately due to his service-connected cervical spine disability. Therefore, service connection for a pulmonary disability was granted.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the right ankle lateral collateral ligament sprain (chronic/recurrent) did not stem from any in-service event or injury.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Ankle Disability, Bilateral Shoulder Disability, Pulmonary Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 8, 2015
- Citation
- 1538298
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 1538298.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for right shoulder, lumbar spine, bilateral knee, and bilateral ankle disabilities due to a lack of credible evidence linking these conditions to service or any presumptive exposure.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various disabilities and denied higher ratings for several service-connected conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hip, knee, and ankle disabilities due to a lack of evidence supporting an in-service injury or continuity of symptomatology. The claim for a psychiatric disorder was also denied as the Veteran's statements were found not credible.
- Dismissed
The appeal for an initial compensable rating for GERD was withdrawn, and the claims for service connection for a low back disability, bilateral ankle disability, bilateral knee disability, and right knee disability were denied.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.