The Board denied the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on loss of use of the left ankle/foot, as there was no evidence that the Veteran had lost effective function in his foot other than what would be equally well served by an amputation with a prosthesis.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's left ankle disability did not result in anatomical loss or 'loss of use' of his left ankle/foot, as he was able to ambulate and had no functional impairment such that no effective function remained other than that which would be equally well served by an amputation with prosthesis.
- Claimed conditions
- Left ankle disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 26, 2025
- Citation
- A25055722
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, type II, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, hypertension, asthma/lung disease, vision disability, bilateral plantar fasciitis, leukocytosis, kidney disease/kidney stones, enlarged prostate, sleep apnea, rheumatoid arthritis, lumbar spine disability, right ankle disability, and left ankle disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error regarding VA's obligation to obtain relevant records from the Social Security Administration.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including plantar fasciitis of both feet, a low back disability, a left ankle disability, meniscus tears in both knees, and hip disabilities, as additional development is necessary to obtain adequate medical opinions.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including a back disability, neck disability, right pelvic disability, left ankle disability, right ankle disability, left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability.
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