The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right ankle strain, finding that his current condition is not related to service and is more likely due to post-service use of orthotics.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no evidence linking the Veteran’s current right ankle disorder to service, attributing it instead to post-service use of orthotics prescribed after retirement from work.
- Claimed conditions
- Right ankle strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 7, 2020
- Citation
- 20065243
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for plantar fasciitis on the right and left foot, left and right ankle strain, left and right knee osteoarthritis, and left and right hip strain, all secondary to service-connected back and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities with weight gain/obesity as an intermediate step.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development, including obtaining medical opinions and readjudicating the cases.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for insomnia disorder with alcohol use disorder, right ankle strain, and left ankle strain as the evidence did not support a higher disability rating.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, post traumatic pain cervical cervicothoracic regions, and residuals of traumatic brain injury. The initial ratings for various service-connected conditions were also denied.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.