The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to November 4, 2016, for the grant of service connection for left ankle traumatic arthritis status post open reduction with internal fixation has been denied. The Board also remanded the issues regarding rating in excess of 20 percent for traumatic arthritis and rating in excess of 10 percent for plantar fasciitis.
The deciding factor: The effective date requested by the Veteran was not earlier than November 4, 2016, as it is based on a liberalized law allowing certain ROTC service to be considered active service for service connection purposes. The Board found that an effective date prior to November 4, 2016, is not possible under applicable laws.
- Claimed conditions
- left ankle traumatic arthritis status post open reduction with internal fixation, plantar fasciitis of the left foot
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 3, 2020
- Citation
- 20000368
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for service connection of plantar fasciitis of the left foot, finding that July 28, 2023 is the earliest possible effective date.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis, finding that the Veteran's current condition is etiologically related to her active service.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for plantar fasciitis of the left foot, replacing a previous diagnosis of foot callus, adjacent to mid-5th metatarsal.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral residuals of trench foot, plantar fasciitis of both feet, and sleep apnea based on their relation to the Veteran's active duty service.
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