The Board has granted service connection for right lateral collateral ligament sprain and left lateral collateral ligament sprain, finding that the Veteran's ankle conditions are at least as likely as not related to his active-duty service.
The deciding factor: The Board found credible the Veteran's reports of multiple fractures and falls in service, which led to chronic issues with circulation and continued sprains and pain. The VA examiner's opinion was based on a false premise regarding lack of ankle issues or injury in service, leading to an inadequate assessment.
- Claimed conditions
- right lateral collateral ligament sprain, left lateral collateral ligament sprain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 14, 2024
- Citation
- A24046431
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 A24046431.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
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 remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right ankle and GERD conditions due to inadequate examination reports that did not consider the ameliorative effects of medication.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for right lateral collateral ligament sprain, lumbar strain, and right wrist tendonitis. The conditions had their onset in service and are related to his documented injuries during active duty.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral glaucoma and right lateral collateral ligament sprain, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service. The decision is based on credible evidence showing a link between the disabilities and the Veteran's active duty.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for dermatophytosis, obstructive sleep apnea, right lateral collateral ligament sprain, fatigue (undiagnosed illness), rhinitis, and chronic sinusitis have been denied.,For dermatophytosis, the earliest date of record is June 1, 2023.,For obstructive sleep apnea, the earliest date of record is April 27, 2017.,For right lateral collateral ligament sprain, the earliest date of record is June 5, 2023.,For fatigue (undiagnosed illness), the earliest date of record is April 13, 2017.,For rhinitis and chronic sinusitis, the earliest date of record is August 10, 2022.
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