The Board denied service connection for a left ankle injury and a rating in excess of 10 percent for a right ankle strain, and remanded the claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran's current left ankle condition was related to an in-service injury or event. The VA examiner opined that the post-service work-related injury was more likely the cause of the Veteran's current left ankle disability, and there were no conflicting medical opinions.
- Claimed conditions
- left ankle injury, right ankle strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 24, 2025
- Citation
- A25027145
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a right ankle strain, finding that the Veteran's current condition is etiologically related to an in-service right ankle sprain.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an initial evaluation of 20 percent for left and right ankle strains, denied a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss, and remanded claims for hypertension and gout.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss as there was no evidence that it met a compensable level during the period on appeal.
- Denied
The Board denied earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection and initial increased ratings for various conditions, as well as remanded several issues for further development.
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