The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings were denied as his service-connected conditions did not meet the criteria for higher evaluations under applicable rating criteria.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners found that the Veteran's disabilities, when evaluated according to the appropriate diagnostic codes, did not warrant a higher evaluation than what was currently assigned.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of right ankle fracture, status post fracture of the thoracic spine, status post fracture of the cervical spine with degenerative changes, left shoulder myofascial pain syndrome, plantar fasciitis and degenerative changes of the bilateral feet
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 2, 2016
- Citation
- 1603413
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 1603413.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tension headaches, GERD, and left shoulder disability, finding that these conditions are at least as likely as not related to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him permanently bedridden or unable to care for his daily needs without requiring the regular aid and attendance of another person. He is not substantially confined to his house due to service-connected disabilities, nor does he have a single service-connected disability ratable at 100 percent along with other unrelated disabilities that combine to at least 60 percent.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that additional evidence should be obtained and the claims remanded for further development.
- Granted
The Veteran's residuals of right ankle fracture were granted a rating of 20 percent from May 3, 2011, to May 26, 2016, and April 1, 2017, to October 27, 2019. The appeal is denied for the period from October 28, 2019.
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