The Veteran's residuals of a left ankle fracture are currently rated at 20 percent, but the Board has determined that a higher rating is warranted. The issues of service connection for heart disability and an acquired psychiatric disorder have been remanded due to new evidence or clarification needed.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners consistently noted pain during motion testing and functional limitations in daily activities, which supports the need for a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Left ankle fracture, Degenerative arthritis of the left ankle
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- February 26, 2019
- Citation
- 19114096
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,062 · Granted: 34% (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 19114096.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination report and failure to consider the effects of medication on the Veteran's left ankle disability.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for major depressive disorder, left ankle fracture, and left knee strain was denied. The Veteran is not entitled to a rating in excess of 30 percent for his major depressive disorder or an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his left ankle fracture. However, he is granted service connection for the left knee strain as secondary to his right knee strain.
- Granted
The Board has determined that new evidence received after the June 2024 denial supports a finding of service connection for degenerative arthritis of the left ankle. The decision concludes that the Veteran's current disability is at least as likely as not related to his in-service injury playing softball.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a right hip condition, including need for replacement, secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left ankle fracture.
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