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Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)

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
Not verified here — check the original 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 21026900.

What this means for you

A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.

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.

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