The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left ankle scar is granted. The Board finds that the evidence is at least in relative equipoise on the question of whether the Veteran manifested a left ankle scar during the pendency of this appeal and that it is etiologically related to service.
The deciding factor: Reasonable doubt has been resolved in favor of the Veteran, as there is evidence both for and against the presence of a current disability (left ankle scar) incurred or aggravated by service.
- Claimed conditions
- left ankle scar
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 22, 2018
- Citation
- 1803800
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 1803800.
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 Veteran's left ankle scar is currently rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds that the evidence does not support a compensable rating.,The Veteran's left ankle fracture with osteoarthritis and tendinitis is currently rated at 20 percent. The Board has remanded this issue for further development.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) pursuant to 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s) is denied because he does not have a single service-connected disability rated as 100 percent disabling, and his disabilities do not meet the requirements of SMC under this section.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and increased evaluations due to the need for medical opinions regarding potential exposure to toxins during service.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities resulted in, at minimum, the effective loss of use of one foot. The criteria for establishing eligibility for financial assistance in the purchase of an automobile and adaptive equipment have been met.
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