The Board denied an effective date earlier than May 1, 1994, for the grant of service connection for left ankle scars and remanded several other claims related to the veteran's left ankle.
The deciding factor: The decision was based on the statutory guidelines for determining the effective date of an award of disability compensation, which in this case established the earliest possible date as the day following the veteran's release from active duty.
- Claimed conditions
- left ankle scars
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 20, 2025
- Citation
- A25045336
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.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities prior to August 28, 2023, and basic eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance benefits.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for a compensable evaluation prior to June 15, 2021, and an evaluation in excess of 10 percent since that date for left ankle scars associated with left ankle total arthroplasty.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher disability rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy, left ankle scars, and residuals of a left ankle fracture status post-surgical repair.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew the appeal, and the Board has no jurisdiction to review this matter.
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