The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right ankle and left knee disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent.
The deciding factor: Based on the extent of ankle motion and flexion/extension of the knees, there was no evidence to establish entitlement to higher disability ratings even after considering pain and functional loss.
- Claimed conditions
- Right ankle sprain, Left knee strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 1, 2021
- Citation
- 21061320
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, while remanding claims for depression, anxiety, sleep disorder, right knee strain, left knee strain, and lumbar spine strain.
- Granted
The Board granted increased 20 percent disability ratings for the back, right knee, and left knee disabilities but denied a higher rating for bilateral pes planus and a compensable rating for the right anterior knee scar.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right knee strain, left knee strain, and left ankle strain but denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for the service-connected injury to flexors (Group VII) of fingers/thumb, an initial compensable rating for recurrent bronchitis, and service connection for bilateral hearing loss.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disability and related knee and shoulder strains as there was no evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's active duty service.
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