The Veteran's application to reopen a claim for service connection of his right ankle condition was denied. The claim for left ankle condition is also denied. Service connection and increased disability evaluations are denied for mechanical thoracolumbar strain and left wrist tendinitis, respectively.,Service connection cannot be established as there is no evidence of current or past left ankle conditions. For the right ankle condition, while the Veteran has reported pain, there is insufficient evidence to establish a current diagnosis.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of the evidence does not support the presence of a currently diagnosed right ankle condition and thus service connection cannot be established.,There is no medical evidence showing a current left ankle disability. The Veteran's STRs only show complaints of swelling and pain, which are insufficient to establish a present disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Right ankle condition, Left ankle condition, Mechanical thoracolumbar strain, Left wrist tendinitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 20, 2020
- Citation
- 20042065
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20042065.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
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- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's right ankle condition is granted a 10 percent disability rating, and his service-connected headaches are granted as secondary to his TBI.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral pes planus, bilateral knee conditions, and bilateral hearing loss due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors. The Veteran's right ankle condition is granted, but his bilateral pes planus and bilateral knee conditions are remanded for further examination and opinion.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating of his left shoulder condition due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between his current conditions and military service, as well as the ameliorative effects of medication on his left shoulder disability. The Veteran will need to undergo VA examinations to address these issues.
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