The Board denied service connection for a left ankle disability and remanded claims for increased ratings for TBI, OSA, and arthralgia of the right ankle.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not establish an in-service incurrence or aggravation of an injury or disease related to the Veteran's left ankle. The VA examiner opined that it was less likely than not that the Veteran's left ankle condition was incurred in or caused by his military service, including in-service airborne and parachuting activities.
- Claimed conditions
- Residual left ankle injury with scar, Traumatic brain injury (TBI) with headaches and unspecified anxiety disorder, Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), Arthralgia, right ankle
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 23, 2025
- Citation
- A25046516
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 appeal for higher ratings and effective dates for various conditions was denied, with the exception of left and right lower extremity radiculopathy which were granted an earlier effective date.
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for various disabilities and granted earlier effective dates for service connection of scars, but denied an earlier effective date for individual unemployability.
- Dismissed
The appeals for service connection for right ear hearing loss and a compensable evaluation for left ear hearing loss were dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeals at a December 2024 Board hearing. The remaining claims are being remanded for further development.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal for failure to timely file a Notice of Disagreement (NOD) with the July 2024 rating decision.
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