The Board has determined that the Veteran's residuals of a fractured and/or sprained left ankle were not incurred or aggravated during service, as there is no evidence showing such in-service. The condition was first noted years after separation from service and is more consistent with degenerative changes over time.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the residuals of a fractured and/or sprained left ankle were less likely related to service due to lack of medical records indicating fracture or injury during service, and no correlation between reported history of prior fracture and chronic symptoms thereafter.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of a fractured and/or sprained left ankle
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 3, 2019
- Citation
- 19176110
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
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