The Veteran's left ankle disability is rated at 10 percent prior to March 6, 2020, and a separate 10 percent rating for instability is granted. The TDIU claim is denied.,Service connection for a left knee disability and an acquired psychiatric disability are remanded due to insufficient evidence.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment, and there is no probative evidence linking his current ankle condition to his service-connected disability or any other etiology. The left knee and psychiatric conditions are also remanded as insufficient evidence exists.
- Claimed conditions
- Left lateral collateral ligament sprain, Left ankle instability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- November 30, 2021
- Citation
- 21071437
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 21071437.
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 Veteran's service-connected HIV and related conditions have resulted in the effective loss of use of his left foot, meeting the criteria for automobile or adaptive equipment eligibility.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for right and left lateral collateral ligament sprain, finding that his range of motion did not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The Board also remanded the claim for entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's generalized anxiety disorder, painful surgical scars on both feet, and non-compensable ratings for left and right foot surgical scars. The claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and various musculoskeletal conditions were remanded.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 40 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected left ankle achilles tendonitis and osteomyelitis, as well as a separate 10 percent rating for left ankle instability.
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