The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for right and left lateral collateral ligament sprain, finding that his range of motion did not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The Board also remanded the claim for entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).
The deciding factor: The Veteran's ankle disabilities did not show enough limitation of motion to warrant a higher rating, and there was insufficient evidence to support a TDIU.
- Claimed conditions
- Right lateral collateral ligament sprain, Left lateral collateral ligament sprain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 5, 2025
- Citation
- A25096353
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 715 · Granted: 43% (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 A25096353.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for special monthly compensation based on the need of regular aid and attendance due to a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error, as recent evidence suggests a worsening of service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for a left ankle disability is denied as there is no legal basis for assigning an earlier effective date due to the finality of the October 1991 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's left ankle disability is currently rated at 20 percent prior to October 11, 2020 and remanded for further development. Since October 11, 2020, the claim remains denied as there is no evidence of ankylosis.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.