The Board denied service connection for a right ankle disability as the condition clearly and unmistakably preexisted the Veteran's active-duty service and was not permanently worsened beyond its natural progression by such service.
The deciding factor: The 2018 VA examiner's opinion, based on a thorough review of the claims file, found that the Veteran's right ankle disability was not aggravated beyond its natural progression during his service. The Board considered this opinion to be highly probative and more credible than the general contentions made by the Veteran and Appellant.
- Claimed conditions
- right ankle disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 11, 2025
- Citation
- A25033856
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.
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The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection, increased ratings, and earlier effective dates as there was no evidence to support a causal relationship between his current conditions and his active military service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for right ankle, left ankle, back disability, and other conditions as there is no evidence of a current disability related to the Veteran's military service.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for various musculoskeletal conditions of the left and right hands, shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees, ankles, and foot, but granted service connection for a right knee disability and fibromyalgia. The decision was based on medical evidence that did not support a link between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
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