The Board has remanded the claims for a right ankle and left ankle disability due to inadequate development of service connection. The Veteran's right ankle strain is denied as there is no evidence it began during his service or is related to his service. For the left ankle, the claim is remanded to verify duty status in 1997 when he reported an injury.
The deciding factor: The Board found insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's duty status in 1997 for the left ankle disability claim, which could affect whether it occurred during qualifying service and thus be eligible for presumptive service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- Right ankle strain, Left ankle fracture
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 4, 2021
- Citation
- 21026900
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 21026900.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine strain, right wrist sprain, right knee strain, left knee strain, and right ankle strain. The disabilities are all deemed to have begun during the Veteran's active duty.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination report and failure to consider the effects of medication on the Veteran's left ankle disability.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for a cervical spine disability, right ankle strain, and mild right foot retrocalcaneal spur as there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease that could be linked to the current disabilities.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for right ankle strain and remanded the issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability.
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