The claim to reopen service connection for a left ankle disability is granted. The Board has decided that the Veteran's current left ankle disability, including osteoarthritis, may be related to an in-service injury and remands the case for further examination.
The deciding factor: The new evidence submitted by the Veteran includes sworn testimony and VA treatment records confirming his diagnosis of left ankle osteoarthritis. The Board finds this evidence sufficient to reopen the claim but requires a medical opinion regarding its etiology.
- Claimed conditions
- left ankle osteoarthritis
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 11, 2019
- Citation
- 19144963
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date of September 27, 2023, for the award of service connection for left ankle osteoarthritis and remanded a claim for a higher disability evaluation.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for allergic rhinitis and remanded the other claims for further development.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities and basic eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance beginning November 19, 2015.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for increased ratings for the Veteran's bilateral ankle and right knee disabilities to obtain a medical opinion that discounts any ameliorative effects of medication.
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