The Board granted an initial 20 percent rating for left ankle strain and earlier effective dates of August 24, 1998 for service connection of hammertoes in the feet. Other claims were denied.
The deciding factor: There was an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence regarding whether the Veteran had marked limitation of motion in his left ankle, leading to a grant of the maximum rating under applicable criteria. The evidence did not support higher ratings for other disabilities or earlier effective dates beyond those granted.
- Claimed conditions
- Residuals of left ankle strain, Right ankle osteoarthritis, Bilateral metatarsalgia, Left foot hammertoes, Right foot hammertoes
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- June 17, 2025
- Citation
- A25053082
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,886 · Granted: 24% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation A25053082.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for right knee instability is granted, with a 30 percent rating. The claims for increased ratings for right knee osteoarthritis (flexion) and left hip strain, osteoarthritis and bursitis based on painful motion are denied. The claim for an increased rating for right ankle osteoarthritis is also denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine with IVDS and bilateral foot conditions, prevented him from securing and maintaining gainful employment from August 31, 2010, to January 30, 2011.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's GERD is granted a 30 percent evaluation, but no higher. The other issues are remanded for further development.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral metatarsalgia, right knee arthritis, tinnitus, left knee pain, lumbar spine pain, right hip pain, and left hip pain based on credible lay evidence of in-service onset and continuous symptoms.
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