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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and denied increased ratings for sleep apnea, left ankle scar, painful left ankle scar, acquired psychiatric disability (major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder), left foot metatarsalgia, and right knee limitation of flexion. The Board granted a 20 percent rating for left foot neuropathy and 20 percent rating for right knee limitation of extension.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date of November 4, 2021, for the assignment of service connection for a left ankle scar and February 22, 2022, for the assignment of a 10 percent rating for a left ankle scar. However, it denied an earlier effective date prior to December 6, 2022, for the assignment of a 20 percent rating for a left ankle disability.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher disability ratings for left ankle osteoarthritis and left ankle scar, stating that the criteria for such ratings were not met.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left elbow disability, sleep apnea, and migraine headaches. It also denied a compensable rating for the left ankle scar but remanded claims for the left wrist and left knee disabilities.
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