The Board has not been able to locate the evidence cited in the May 2011 rating decision, which may constitute new and material evidence sufficient to reopen the service connection claim. The RO is instructed to make all necessary efforts to obtain the Veteran's complete VA treatment records pertaining to his ankles so that the Board can review all evidence submitted.
The deciding factor: The cited evidence in the May 2011 rating decision may constitute new and material evidence sufficient to reopen the service connection claim, as it could indicate a currently diagnosed disability of the ankles.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral ankle disability
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 3, 2016
- Citation
- 1642390
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 1642390.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for a neurological examination to determine if any diagnosed radiculopathy or other neurological disability affecting the lower extremities was caused or aggravated by service-connected conditions.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral ankle disability as secondary to his service-connected bilateral knee and low back disabilities.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the service connection for migraines, a left shoulder disability, a right elbow disability, a left wrist disability, and a bilateral ankle disability.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis, a bilateral ankle disability, and thyroid nodules with multinodular goiter as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected intervertebral disc syndrome with degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine.
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