The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate reasoning in its previous decision regarding a rating higher than 20 percent for degenerative joint disease of the left ankle. The Veteran's testimony during his May 2013 hearing was not adequately addressed, and the Court ordered additional development including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling an examination.
The deciding factor: The Board failed to address the Veteran's testimony regarding his left ankle locking in its previous decision.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease of the Left Ankle
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 11, 2024
- Citation
- 24001960
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 3,217 · Granted: 46% (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 24001960.
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 left ankle DJD and instability are each rated at 20 percent, with the instability issue being granted. The rating for DJD remains denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's claims for traumatic brain injury, left knee degenerative joint disease, and left ankle degenerative joint disease have been granted. The service connection is established based on direct evidence of the conditions during active duty.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the issues of an initial compensable rating for PFB, service connection for a chronic low back disorder, service connection for degenerative joint disease of the left ankle, service connection for chronic cardiovascular disease, and service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's left ankle disability was granted a 20 percent rating effective September 30, 2009. The claim for a higher rating prior to October 15, 2018 is remanded.,Since October 15, 2018, the Veteran's left ankle disability has been rated at 20 percent. The case is remanded due to issues with his TDIU claim prior to this date.
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