The Veteran's claim of whether new and material evidence has been submitted sufficient to reopen the left ankle disability was dismissed. The claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, right ankle arthralgia, bilateral foot condition (flat feet), and erectile dysfunction were all granted. However, the severance of service connection for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome from July 13, 2005, to October 21, 2008, and right ankle arthralgia was improper; restoration of service connection is warranted. The Veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for patellofemoral pain syndrome of the right knee prior to October 21, 2008, and an evaluation greater than 10 percent thereafter, as well as his claim for a compensable evaluation for right ankle arthralgia prior to October 21, 2008, and an evaluation greater than 10 percent thereafter, were remanded. The Veteran's claim of service connection for erectile dysfunction was also remanded.
The deciding factor: The decision is based on the Veteran's testimony and medical opinions provided by VA clinicians, which support the granting of service connection for various conditions and the need for further examination to determine the severity of certain disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- left ankle disability, acquired psychiatric disorder (adjustment disorder), bilateral foot condition (flat feet)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 7, 2019
- Citation
- 19109211
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,156 · Granted: 29% (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 19109211.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has expanded the scope of the claim to include any mental health disorder raised by the record and has remanded for additional development regarding service connection for left leg, ankle, and psychiatric disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for left, right ankle disabilities, left and right hip disabilities, left and right shin splints, and left and right knee disabilities due to inadequate nexus opinions in the VA examination reports. The Veteran contends that her current disabilities are related to injuries sustained during basic training.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of left knee disability, tension headaches, a left ankle disability, and a back disability due to the Veteran's death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to new evidence received, and a need for additional medical opinions considering the Veteran's military occupation as a water safety survival instructor.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.