Foot (incl. plantar fasciitis, flat feet) decisions — 2017

The Board found that the Veteran's GERD was not caused by his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus/planovalgus has been manifested by marked pronation and extreme tenderness, symptoms of which are not improved by orthopedic shoes or appliances. The Board finds that the criteria for a 50 percent initial rating have been met.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral pes planus clearly and unmistakably existed prior to his active service, and was not aggravated by such service. Therefore, the claim for service connection is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed skin disorder, foot disability, and left knee scar. The VA will also obtain updated treatment records from September 2011.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral pes planus has been withdrawn by the appellant through his representative.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he requested the withdrawal of his appeal prior to the Board's decision.

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

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for dermatophytosis, bilateral feet, was denied as the condition does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under Diagnostic Code 7806.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability to include PTSD, right arm laceration, left knee disability, right knee disability, lumbar spine disability and bilateral foot disability. The new evidence submitted since the final decisions raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including the acquisition of SSA disability records and updating the claims file with all extant VA medical records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed bilateral foot disability and gastrointestinal disability were not caused or aggravated by his military service, and thus denied both claims.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and TDIU were denied. The right ankle disability is rated as 10 percent disabling, while the right foot plantar fasciitis was rated as 10 percent prior to October 14, 2016, and 20 percent thereafter. The appeal for TDIU was also denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling VA examinations. The claims will be reconsidered after these steps are completed.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right and left foot disabilities other than calluses, as well as his lumbar spine, right knee, and left knee disabilities. These conditions are deemed to have been incurred during service due to their progression over time.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a Board hearing due to his request. The issue of entitlement to an earlier effective date for the increased rating of 30 percent for service-connected left foot plantar fasciitis will be addressed in this decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral foot disorders, including pes planus and other related conditions, are at least as likely as not caused by service.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary before the case can be decided, as a new VA examination is required to address whether the Veteran's left foot pes planus is related to or caused by her service-connected low back disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and a VA examination. The issues of service connection for low back, bilateral ankle, left foot, and right foot disabilities are on appeal.

The Board found that the Veteran's current psychiatric disorders are not related to his military service and denied his claims for service connection.,Similarly, the Board determined there is no evidence linking the Veteran's bilateral foot disorders to his time in service and denied his claim.

The Board has determined that the preponderance of evidence is against a finding that the Veteran's hepatitis C, diagnosed more than thirty years after separation from service, is causally related to, or aggravated by, active service. The claim for service connection for hepatitis C was denied.