Military service often requires service members to put heavy demands on joints such as the ankles. This can lead to long-term consequences, like ankle pain, that can follow even after one returns to civilian life.
The US Department of Veterans Affairs (the VA) recognizes ankle pain as a compensable service-connected disability. If you believe that you are suffering from pain in your ankles that was caused by your time in the military, then the Stone Rose Law firm can help you apply for monthly compensation and other benefits you qualify for.
If you are a veteran with a current diagnosis of ankle pain, contact us at (480) 498-8998 to speak with one of our veterans’ benefit law specialists.
The range of VA disability ratings for ankle pain is based on the severity and limitations of motion, ankylosis, or ankle deformity.
If the VA approves your ankle pain disability claim, you can receive a VA disability rating from 0 to 100 percent based on its diagnostic codes.
VA diagnostic codes identify the symptoms you are experiencing and establish the basis for your VA disability rating. The diagnostic codes the VA uses for ankle pain include:
Here is a quick breakdown of the VA disability rating schedule for ankle pain:
Amputations or loss of ankle use may also qualify for Special Monthly Compensation VA disability benefits.
To apply for ankle pain disability benefits with the VA, you must show:
You can file a benefits claim with the VA online using VA Form 21-526EZ (the preferred method) or file a claim through the mail or in person at your regional VA office.
To support your application, submit the following documented evidence:
Additional evidence can be “buddy letters” from people who know you, like coworkers, family members, former comrades in service, and friends, who have witnessed how your ankle pain affects your everyday activities and your ability to work.
Once you have submitted your benefits claim application, the VA may schedule a compensation and pension examination by a VA examiner. This will help the VA fully understand the nature of your ankle pain condition and answer any questions it may have about your claim.
An ankle injury can result in other injuries. You must show a nexus if this is the case.
If you had ankle pain when you entered active duty and your military duties worsened this pre-existing condition beyond its normal progression, this worsening could be the basis for a disability benefits claim with the VA.
If you have ankle pain that prevents you from obtaining or hanging onto substantially gainful employment the VA may compensate you at a higher disability rating. VA rating for total disability. This is possible even if your current disability rating, individual or combined, does not total 100%.
This is known as total disability based on individual unemployability, or TDIU.
You can make a claim for TDIU benefits if you fit into one of three categories:
Ankle pain seldom happens by itself. It is often connected with other medical conditions that cause or contribute to it.
What you receive in VA disability benefits is directly tied to your disability rating. You can receive a higher disability rating if multiple conditions combine to cause or worsen your ankle pain.
Below are some of the other kinds of ankle injuries and other conditions that can combine to increase the severity of your ankle pain.
Ankle instability is a medical condition that can cause problems with everyday activities. It can make it hard to walk or, in some cases, even to stand. Ankle instability often happens after an ankle injury or excessive stress on the ankle that leads to an ankle sprain.
There are two kinds of ankle instability: mechanical instability, which refers to the inability of the ankle to bear weight and remain stable while walking or standing, and functional instability, which is the fear that your ankle may suddenly give out at any moment.
Ankle instability symptoms include pain, swelling, and bruising, difficulty keeping balance, and walking with a limp.
Ankle tendonitis is a condition that causes inflammation and swelling of one or more tendons in the ankle. This can cause pain, swelling, stiffness, and tenderness in the ankle, making it harder to move.
Multiple types of arthritis can affect your ankle, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, post-traumatic arthritis, or gout. Symptoms can include touch sensitivity and pain, swelling, tenderness, stiffness, and difficulty moving. The severity of your symptoms will affect your VA rating for ankle arthritis.
Plantar fasciitis is when the tissues that run across the bottoms of your feet become inflamed, overstretched, or even torn. Plantar fasciitis can be a painful condition that can also limit your ability to move and contribute to ankle instability.
If you have a condition that affects your hip or knee joints, you may alter your gait to compensate when you move. In turn, that unnatural movement can put extra stress on your ankles, eventually leading to ankle pain.
Although feelings of anxiety or depression do not contribute to ankle pain, the reverse can be true. Many times, veterans with ankle pain and other ankle conditions can experience these feelings because of the negative effects of ankle pain in their ordinary lives.
Unfortunately, the VA does not always approve initial benefits claims. However, you still have options to overcome if your claim is denied. These include filing a supplemental claim with new and relevant information for the VA to reconsider or making an appeal for further review of your existing claim by another examiner.
In the most formal cases, you can make an appeal for a hearing before a VA judge. This will allow the VA to explain their reasoning for denial further and allow you to present additional arguments and evidence.
Although you can make your own VA benefits claim without the help of a VA benefits lawyer, it is advisable to have legal counsel advise you in an appeal. Although appeals of VA claim denials are often successful, there are procedural requirements to the appeals process that non-lawyers may not grasp fully.
An experienced VA disability attorney can make sure your claim does not fall into one of these process pitfalls. This will increase your chances of having your claim approved.
At Stone Rose Law, we have board-certified VA claims lawyers who serve on behalf of veterans nationwide. Our VA-accredited attorneys provide affordable, high-quality legal assistance for veterans appeals and any kind of VA disability claim, including claims for ankle pain.
Our veterans lawyers provide highly professional legal representation to military veterans, helping them through the VA process to receive all the veterans’ disability benefits they are entitled to.
A Stone Rose disability lawyer can help you prepare your disability claim, monitor your claim status, and consult with you before disability examinations — all at no cost to you.
If the VA denies your original claim, our VA benefits law firm will assign a VA disability appeals lawyer to help you pursue a VA appeal with the Board of Veterans Appeals. We will provide this free representation on a contingency fee basis.
For more information about how one of our VA disability lawyers can help you with your VA disability compensation claim or appeal, request a free assistance consultation at (480) 498-8998. Or, if you prefer, you can reach us online to ask a question about veterans’ law, or veterans’ disability benefits or to set an appointment with one of our veterans lawyers for a free case evaluation.
