The Veteran's left ankle condition did not meet the criteria for a higher rating, and her claim of an earlier effective date is dismissed.,The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of the cervical spine condition.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner failed to consider relevant STRs showing a neck injury during service when providing an opinion on the etiology of the Veteran's cervical strain.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Ankle Condition, Cervical Spine Condition, Peripheral Vestibular Disorder (claimed as dizziness or unsteadiness)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 7, 2023
- Citation
- 23007639
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 23007639.
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 the Veteran's right knee, left knee, right ankle, and left ankle conditions as secondary to his service-connected left hip replacement.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left ankle condition is not related to his service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to new and relevant evidence received, including VA examinations and opinions that tend to prove or disprove the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder. The cervical spine condition is denied as there was no in-service onset or chronicity.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the right hip, left ankle, low back, and TBI residuals conditions. The Veteran's current diagnoses are supported by medical records, and his statements regarding the onset of these conditions during service have been found to be credible.
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