The Veteran's petition to reopen a claim for entitlement to service connection for a right ankle disorder is granted. The appeal is granted to this extent only, with the denial of the claim for service connection for a right ankle disorder. The rating in excess of 10 percent for seizures and the service connection for major depressive disorder with alcohol dependence (psychiatric disorder) as secondary to service-connected seizure disorder are remanded.
The deciding factor: The evidence received since the last final denial has established new and material evidence, allowing the reopening of the claim. However, the preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that the right ankle disorder is related to service or that the psychiatric disorder is secondary to the seizure disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Ankle Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder with Alcohol Dependence
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 24, 2018
- Citation
- 18144356
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 18144356.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The appeal was denied for an initial compensable rating for hypertension, and the issues of service connection for liver nodules, lung nodules, right foot disorder, and right ankle disorder were remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a right ankle disorder and a gastrointestinal disorder, as the evidence did not support current diagnoses or functional impairments related to these conditions during or approximate to the pendency of the claims.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a compensable rating for sinusitis and service connection for allergic rhinitis, bilateral foot corns, left foot plantar fasciitis, right foot plantar fasciitis, right ankle disorder, and toenail disorder.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD with alcohol use disorder and cannabis use was granted an initial evaluation of 70 percent. Other service connection claims were denied or remanded.
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