The Board denied service connection for a left ankle disorder, finding that the Veteran's current condition is not related to his in-service injury and arthritis did not manifest within one year of separation from active duty.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found it less likely than not that any of the Veteran’s documented left ankle conditions are related to his military service, including his December 1966 complaint of a sore ankle. The Board also noted there is no objective evidence of arthritis dated prior to July 2016.
- Claimed conditions
- left ankle disorder, arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19183037
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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Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew the appeal for all service connection and rating issues, and the Board has no jurisdiction to review these matters.
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