Foot (incl. plantar fasciitis, flat feet) decisions — 2016

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to a change in the Veteran's address and for the opportunity of his appointed representative, Texas Veterans Commission, to submit argument or evidence.

The Board found that the Veteran's pes planus existed prior to service and was not aggravated by any in-service injury, event or illness. Therefore, it denied service connection for bilateral pes planus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's preexisting bilateral pes planus increased in severity during service and is therefore aggravated by military service. The Veteran's bilateral ankle disability, however, did not meet the criteria for service connection as there are no records indicating a current disability or any link to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining private and VA treatment records and arranging an orthopedic examination to determine the nature and likely etiology of his back, ankle, and foot disabilities.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for increased ratings and TDIU as the appellant withdrew his appeal prior to a decision.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been granted, with effective dates set at November 5, 2009. The Veteran's depressive disorder was found to be secondary to his left hip disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to ensure that his claims are properly adjudicated, including the need for VA examinations.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, dysthymic disorder, and bilateral flat feet were denied. The effective dates for the grants of service connection for dysthymic disorder and bilateral flat feet are set at May 20, 2010.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a left foot disorder, claimed as plantar fasciitis. The Board has remanded the matter due to incomplete records and needs to obtain additional evidence before deciding the claim.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased evaluations are being remanded to obtain additional medical records, reschedule examinations, and request the submission of a VA Form 21-8940.,The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased evaluations are being remanded to obtain additional medical records, reschedule examinations, and request the submission of a VA Form 21-8940.,The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased evaluations are being remanded to obtain additional medical records, reschedule examinations, and request the submission of a VA Form 21-8940.,The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased evaluations are being remanded to obtain additional medical records, reschedule examinations, and request the submission of a VA Form 21-8940.,The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased evaluations are being remanded to obtain additional medical records, reschedule examinations, and request the submission of a VA Form 21-8940.,The Veteran's claim for service connection is being remanded to obtain additional medical records, reschedule examinations, and request the submission of a VA Form 21-8940.,The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations are being remanded to obtain additional medical records, reschedule examinations, and request the submission of a VA Form 21-8940.,The Veteran's claim for service connection is being remanded to obtain additional medical records, reschedule examinations, and request the submission of a VA Form 21-8940.,The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations are being remanded to obtain additional medical records, reschedule examinations, and request the submission of a VA Form 21-8940.,The Veteran's claim for service connection is being remanded to obtain additional medical records, reschedule examinations, and request the submission of a VA Form 21-8940.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral foot disability was not caused or aggravated by a disease or injury in active military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain a new VA examination for his foot disabilities, as the current evidence does not address the limitation of motion resulting from arthritis in his feet.

The Board has granted a 10 percent rating for left foot plantar fasciitis and denied any higher ratings for residuals of left thumb injury. The Veteran's symptoms are currently rated as the highest possible under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's asthma, bilateral heel spurs with plantar fasciitis, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and right lower extremity radiculopathy were not incurred or aggravated in service. The claims are denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's pes planus was noted at entry into service and did not undergo any permanent worsening during his one-month period of active duty. The VA examiner concluded that any increase in disability was due to the natural progression of the disease, thus rebutting the presumption of aggravation.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for cardiovascular disability, bilateral ankle and foot disabilities, and a skin rash disability due to lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Board has granted initial noncompensable ratings for the Veteran's right foot plantar fasciitis, left foot plantar fasciitis, and lumbar spine degenerative arthritis with spina bifida occulta.

The Veteran's right foot disability is not considered to be a result of the VA surgical treatment in June 1988 and March 2002, and therefore compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 is denied.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and Social Security Administration records. The Veteran's representative suggested an addendum opinion regarding his GERD claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's skin disorder and bilateral pes planus were not incurred or aggravated by service, and thus denied both claims.