The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and separate compensable ratings for his service-connected bilateral ankle disabilities, finding that the schedular criteria adequately describe his disability picture. The case is remanded for further development regarding TDIU.
The deciding factor: The schedular rating criteria are found to be adequate in evaluating the Veteran’s service-connected bilateral ankle disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Left ankle arthritis, Right ankle arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- April 14, 2021
- Citation
- 21021825
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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 21021825.
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 the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left ankle disability and a bilateral foot disability, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease related to these conditions.
- Granted
The Veteran's right ankle disability, which includes arthritis and tendonitis, is rated at the maximum schedular rating of 40 percent for the entire appeal period.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has ordered the case to be remanded due to issues with the rating assigned for right ankle instability and arthritis. The Veteran's symptoms have been found to significantly impact his ability to use his ankle, requiring a brace and cane.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for single episode major depressive disorder with anxious distress, somatic symptom disorder, and alcohol use disorder; right ankle arthritis; and bilateral plantar fasciitis and a right foot heel spur. The claims for recurrent hip disabilities, a rating in excess of 20 percent for left knee anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament repair residuals, and TDIU were remanded.
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