The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination and medical opinion regarding the Veteran's left ankle condition. The Veteran contends that his current left ankle disability is related to an in-service incident where he was caught by a cable while onboard a ship.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner provided an inadequate medical opinion based on the lack of treatment in service, without considering the Veteran’s lay statements regarding his symptoms since service.
- Claimed conditions
- Left ankle condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 24, 2020
- Citation
- 20005283
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.
- Denied
The Board denied readjudication of the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, aphthous ulcers, a right elbow condition, an enlarged prostate, a right ankle disorder, and a left ankle disorder as no new and relevant evidence was received.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a left ankle condition, sleep apnea, lower back condition, and right hip condition as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral pes planus, bilateral hallux valgus, degenerative joint disease of the right knee, and right ankle calcaneal spur.
- Partly granted
The Board denied an initial compensable disability rating for hypertension and remanded the claims for service connection for a left ankle condition and bilateral hearing loss due to inadequate VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a left ankle condition, a lower back condition, and radiculopathy of both lower extremities as they require further development.
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