The Veteran's appeal includes claims for a higher rating for his left ankle posttraumatic arthritis and the propriety of reducing his disability rating from 20 percent to 10 percent. The Board has decided both issues should be remanded due to the need for additional examination.
The deciding factor: The Veteran reported that his service-connected left ankle condition had worsened since his last VA examination, necessitating a new evaluation.
- Claimed conditions
- left ankle posttraumatic arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19176964
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,435 · Granted: 22% (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 19176964.
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.
- Partly granted
Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is granted. A compensable rating for left lower extremity surgery scar is denied. All other issues are remanded.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's right great toe disability is causally related to his service-connected left ankle disability, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased rating and TDIU related to his service-connected left ankle disability are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a new VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's left ankle disability, including posttraumatic arthritis and Achilles tendinopathy, has worsened since the last examination. The Board finds a new VA examination is necessary to properly evaluate his condition.
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