The Board denied service connection for left and right ankle fractures with nonunion, finding that these conditions pre-existed the Veteran's service and were not aggravated by it.
The deciding factor: There is clear and unmistakable evidence that the Veteran's ankle disorders pre-existed his service and there was no evidence of an in-service aggravation beyond natural progression.
- Claimed conditions
- left ankle fracture with nonunion, right ankle fracture with nonunion
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 20, 2025
- Citation
- A25045232
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
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Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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The Veteran is granted an effective date of August 10, 2022, for the grant of service connection for sinusitis based on the PACT Act.
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The Board granted service connection for left and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, finding that the conditions are related to in-service herbicide agent exposure.
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