The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left hip and right ankle disabilities, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his active duty service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner opined that the etiology of the Veteran’s diagnosed Paget's disease is unknown and could be related to both genetic and environmental factors. The Board found this opinion inadequate as it did not address the Veteran's lay statements or the medical treatment for his right ankle in 1993 or 2005.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Hip Disability, Right Ankle Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 20, 2018
- Citation
- 18100748
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 18100748.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has denied service connection for the claimed conditions as there is no persuasive evidence of current diagnoses or in-service incurrence or aggravation.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for right and left ankle disabilities, as well as denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's claims for other conditions are remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for both a right hip disability and a left hip disability, finding that the Veteran's observable symptoms of pain and stiffness began during his active service and have persisted.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's generalized anxiety disorder is granted a 70% rating. The left hip disability claim is remanded due to insufficient medical opinion regarding causation and aggravation.
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