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

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a videoconference hearing before the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral foot disability (other than dyshidrosis) was not incurred or aggravated during his period of service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's asthma, right foot plantar fasciitis, and left foot plantar fasciitis have been granted service connection. The Veteran has not provided sufficient evidence to establish service connection for the other conditions listed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected right foot disability, characterized by pain, limited ambulation and weight bearing, severe nonunion of tarsal bones without actual loss of use of the right foot, warrants a 30 percent rating.

The Veteran's current diagnosis of plantar fasciitis is related to a period of service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition. The issue of increased rating for back disorder and hearing loss in the left ear remains pending.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis and granted a 10 percent rating effective July 12, 2010.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to inadequate prior VA medical opinion and missing private medical records. The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is being evaluated in relation to his service-connected disabilities, including prescribed medications.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for left foot cellulitis with a surgical scar and right ankle tendonitis have been denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities or chronic conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus is entitled to a single 50 percent rating at all times during the pendency of the appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his right knee and associated foot conditions, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as of June 7, 2012.

The Board denied service connection for left and right foot disabilities, finding no evidence of a chronic disability related to service or secondary to another condition. The Veteran's testimony about an in-service injury was accepted as credible but not sufficient to establish service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right foot and left hip disabilities are not related to her military service, and thus denied both claims.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus has been rated at 30 percent since December 2011. The issue of service connection for a left knee disability remains on appeal.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and an opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral foot disabilities, including degenerative arthritis and onychomycosis.

The Board finds that the Veteran has current diagnoses of left foot metatarsalgia and plantar keratosis, which are service-connected. However, there is no evidence of a current left knee disability or arthritis in service. The Veteran's left knee symptoms during service were attributed to arthritis, but x-ray evidence shows no current condition.

The Veteran's claim for a higher disability evaluation for his left foot disability is withdrawn. The Board has granted entitlement to TDIU based on the service-connected disabilities, including those of the right knee and left foot.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of her husband's death, finding that there was no evidence linking his death to any of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus is rated at 30 percent, but the Board finds that it warrants a higher 50 percent rating due to marked pronation and tenderness/pain to the plantar surfaces of both feet.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the severity of his bilateral flat feet and for additional development of his claims file.