The Board denied service connection for a right ankle/foot disability, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis of a right ankle strain and calcaneal spur did not meet the criteria for direct service connection due to lack of evidence of arthritis within one year of separation. The VA examiners opined against the claim based on the absence of medical evidence supporting a fracture in service and no further complaints or diagnoses related to the right foot or ankle until 34 years after separation.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was insufficient medical evidence to support a direct service connection due to lack of arthritis within one year of separation, and the VA examiners' opinions were considered more persuasive than the Veteran's lay statements regarding his in-service injury.
- Claimed conditions
- Right ankle/foot disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 31, 2022
- Citation
- 22031767
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 22031767.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for right and left ankle/foot disabilities, as well as left and right knee disabilities, all secondary to a service-connected back disability. The VA needs to obtain medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a right ankle/foot disability and awarded an individual compensation rating of 10% for scars of the left cheek, right temple, and/or right eyebrow.
- Granted
The Veteran's right ankle and foot disability was ultimately assigned a temporary total evaluation of 100 percent from January 5, 2010, through March 31, 2010, and an evaluation of 10 percent for the period of April 1, 2010, to November 29, 2010. The temporary total evaluation was extended to 100 percent since November 30, 2010, through December 31, 2010, and an evaluation of 20 percent since January 1, 2011.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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