The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records from 1993 to 1996 and providing a new VA examination to address the etiology of any diagnosed right ankle disability, including whether it is secondary to left ankle degenerative joint disease.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the previous examinations did not adequately address the questions posed by the January 2012 remand instructions and failed to consider all relevant evidence. The new examination must provide opinions on the likelihood of any diagnosed right ankle disability being due to military service or proximately due to a service-connected disability, including left ankle degenerative joint disease.
- Claimed conditions
- right ankle disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 17, 2016
- Citation
- 1643746
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 1643746.
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 Veteran's claims for left, right ankle disabilities, left and right hip disabilities, left and right shin splints, and left and right knee disabilities due to inadequate nexus opinions in the VA examination reports. The Veteran contends that her current disabilities are related to injuries sustained during basic training.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to new evidence received, and a need for additional medical opinions considering the Veteran's military occupation as a water safety survival instructor.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for effective dates and initial ratings have been dismissed due to the withdrawal of his appeal by his representative.
- Dismissed
The appeal of depression, anxiety, and distress is dismissed as the Veteran's PTSD encompassing these symptoms was granted. The respiratory disability (asthma) claim is granted. Tinnitus and lumbar spine and ankle disabilities are also granted. Bilateral hearing loss remains denied.
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