The Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disorder, an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD and MDD), and left knee disability were denied. The right ankle fracture claim resulted in a 30% rating since January 31, 2017.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not support higher ratings based on the severity of the disabilities as of the respective dates for each issue.
- Claimed conditions
- Right ankle fracture, Left knee degenerative joint disease (DDD), meniscus injury, and mild effusion
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 11, 2019
- Citation
- 19103321
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,162 · Granted: 21% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19103321.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's motion to revise a March 1975 rating decision that assigned an initial noncompensable disability rating for service-connected right ankle fracture, finding no CUE in the decision.
- Granted
The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, left ankle disorder, and right ankle fracture are all granted service connection. The right ankle fracture is remanded for a higher disability rating.
- Granted
The Board has granted an initial 40 percent rating for the Veteran's right ankle disability, finding that his symptoms more nearly approximated ankylosis in dorsiflexion at more than 10 degrees during flare-ups and after repetitive use over time.
- Denied
The Veteran's request for an effective date before April 23, 2021, for service connection for right ankle stress fracture of the talus with right ankle sprain and right ankle fracture is denied. The June 1998 and July 2002 rating decisions are final, and there was no pending claim or unadjudicated claim under 38 C.F.R. § 3.160(c) or informal claim under 38 C.F.R. §§ 3.155, 3.156 regarding the right ankle disability between the July 2002 rating decision and April 23, 2021.
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