The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral gastrocnemius equinus/a bilateral ankle disorder, an initial disability rating higher than 0 percent prior to April 4, 2023, for sinusitis/pansinusitis, and entitlement to TDIU due to incomplete medical records and insufficient examination opinions.
The deciding factor: The claims are remanded as there is insufficient evidence regarding the severity of the Veteran's bilateral ankle condition and sinusitis disability, including whether these conditions are aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral gastrocnemius equinus/a bilateral ankle disorder, sinusitis/pansinusitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 30, 2024
- Citation
- 24004418
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 705 · Granted: 38% (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 24004418.
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.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's respiratory disorders, including COPD, emphysema, and sinusitis, are not related to service on a direct basis due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his in-service asbestos exposure. The VA examiner opined that the current diagnoses are less likely caused by or a result of asbestos exposure.
- Remanded (sent back)
The veteran's claims for increased ratings on appeal are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing notification letters in compliance with VCAA requirements.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.