The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left ankle impairment, which he claimed was secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine disorder. The Board found that there is no evidence of a chronic left ankle condition in service and no competent medical opinion linking the current disability to service or a service-connected disability.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service treatment records did not show any chronic left ankle condition, and there was no competent medical opinion linking his current left ankle impairment to service or a service-connected lumbar spine disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- left ankle impairment
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 8, 2019
- Citation
- 19161137
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 19161137.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The veteran's appeal for service connection and higher rating was dismissed because the veteran withdrew their appeal.
- Partly granted
The veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability was granted, but the claim for left elbow secondary radial head dislocation status post open reduction internal fixation was denied. The claims for polyneuropathy and ankle impairments were remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's left leg disability, including knee and ankle impairment, is currently rated at 10 percent. The Board has remanded the case for further examination to determine the severity of his disability and any bilateral foot issues.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right lower extremity sciatica associated with the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral spine strain, but remanded claims for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and sleep apnea.
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