The Board has granted service connection for right ankle strain with osteoarthritis and remanded the other issues due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's current disabilities are related to his in-service injuries.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not provide a medical opinion regarding whether the current left ankle disability is related to the June 1996 in-service left ankle strain, or if the left ankle disability is secondary to the service-connected right ankle disability. The Veteran's PTSD diagnosis was also unclear and requires further examination.
- Claimed conditions
- Right ankle strain with osteoarthritis, Left ankle disability, Acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), Chronic disability manifested by fatigue, to include as due to an undiagnosed illness or a MUCMI, including CFS
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 4, 2022
- Citation
- 22020065
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 22020065.
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 gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), finding that both conditions are secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lower back condition and sinusitis, respectively.
- Granted
The Board has granted the appellant's claim for service connection for left ankle disability residuals, finding that his current condition is due to an in-service injury and granting the benefit of the doubt.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected other specified trauma and stressor related disorder.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher level of SMC was denied as the Board found that he is already in receipt of SMC at the (l) rate based on need for regular aid and attendance due to service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease with congestive heart failure. A second award of SMC at the (l) rate based on need for regular aid and attendance was not warranted.
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