The Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for left ankle sprain was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show marked limitation of motion, which is required for a higher rating.,The Veteran's claim for SMC for loss of use of the left foot due to his left ankle sprain was also denied. The VA examiners concluded there was no medical evidence showing permanent loss of use of the left foot.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating as he did not demonstrate marked limitation of motion, which is required under diagnostic code 5271.,VA examiners concluded there was no medical evidence showing permanent loss of use of the left foot due to his left ankle sprain.
- Claimed conditions
- left ankle sprain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- October 12, 2021
- Citation
- 21062992
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,500 · Granted: 29% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 21062992.
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 has determined that the Veteran's current right and left ankle disabilities are related to repetitive parachute jumps during service, granting service connection for these conditions.
- Granted
The Veteran's claims for service connection for left ankle sprain, right ankle sprain, anxiety with situational type phobia, left hip strain, left knee strain, right knee strain, and lumbar strain are granted effective March 3, 2022.,An earlier effective date of March 3, 2022, is assigned for the Veteran's service connection claims.
- Denied
The Veteran's left ankle condition, diagnosed as a left ankle sprain and degenerative arthritis, is currently rated at 10 percent. The Board found that the evidence did not show marked limitation of motion or ankylosis, which would warrant a higher rating. Therefore, the claim for a higher rating was denied.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent her from securing and maintaining substantial, gainful employment prior to May 1, 2021. Her earnings exceeded the poverty threshold for each year during this period.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.