Foot (incl. plantar fasciitis, flat feet) decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected foot and hip disabilities, including for a new examination to assess the severity of his conditions and for consideration of an extraschedular evaluation.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for various conditions have been dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing his claims.,Obstructive sleep apnea has been granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted for various conditions, including joint pain, bilateral hearing loss, right foot disability, tinnitus, obstructive sleep apnea, GERD, plantar fasciitis of the left heel, headache, and acquired psychiatric disability. The effective date is not specified.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right and left foot plantar fasciitis were granted effective April 16, 2015. The Board denied earlier effective dates as the evidence did not show an increase in severity within one year prior to the claim.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed for the issues of service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, increased ratings for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, and bilateral foot disability. The remaining issues have been remanded.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus was granted service connection. The petition to reopen claims for sleep apnea, breast cancer, and a dental disorder was withdrawn. A rating of 60 percent for status post hemorrhoidectomy with narrowed rectal opening and fecal leakage (stricture of the rectum/anus) is granted from December 5, 2011.

The Veteran's initial and increased disability ratings for lumbosacral strain and right foot plantar fasciitis have been denied. The Veteran's lumbosacral strain is rated at 10%, 20%, and 40% from August 26, 2011 to June 6, 2016 respectively, while his right foot condition remains at 20%. No new evidence or changes in service connection are indicated.

All the Veteran's claims for service connection have been dismissed due to his death.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims due to incomplete records and need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's lower back, bilateral hip, and left knee disabilities are found to be related to his service-connected pes planus.,Service connection is granted for the Veteran's bilateral eye disability as it is considered a residual of his TBI.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including major depressive and generalized anxiety disorder, bilateral plantar fasciitis, hypertensive heart disease, instability of the left knee, limitation of motion of the left knee, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. His TDIU claim is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities, and thus grants entitlement to TDIU.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's current bilateral pes planus is related to his active service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various disabilities, including left elbow disability, allergic rhinitis, cervical spine disability, low back disability, right foot disability, right ankle disability, hemorrhoids, and right hand scaring. The claims are being remanded to provide further examinations and opinions.

The Veteran's claims for low back, left foot, right foot, left knee, and right knee disabilities were denied. The claim for PTSD was granted with an initial rating of 70 percent.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to new and material evidence not being required, as previous decisions were not final. The claims are now pending.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for neck disability, back disability, left ankle disability, right ankle disability, left foot disability, right foot disability, skin disability (rash on lower extremities), bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. However, further development is needed as VA examinations are required to determine the nature and etiology of these disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service-connected bipolar disorder with schizophrenia, paranoid type features is denied. The Board found that the earliest possible effective date was November 28, 2012, when the Veteran filed his claim.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral foot and ankle disabilities, as secondary to his service-connected knee disability due to an inadequate examination report.

The Board has granted the reopening of claims for left foot disability, right foot disability, and low back disability. The cases are remanded to determine if these disabilities were aggravated by active duty training.