Foot (incl. plantar fasciitis, flat feet) decisions — 2019

The Board has granted service connection for tinea versicolor but has remanded the issue of whether the Veteran's pre-existing bilateral pes planus was aggravated during service.

The Board denied reopening of the Veteran's claims for respiratory disability, left foot disability, right foot disability, bilateral eye disability, and psychiatric disability. The psychiatric claim was granted as new and material evidence has been received. The other conditions remain denied due to lack of new and material evidence or a reasonable possibility of substantiation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not have a bilateral foot, right leg, or left leg disability during his lifetime. The appellant's statements regarding these disabilities are not considered competent evidence as they do not demonstrate medical expertise.,The Veteran was diagnosed with CAD in 1999, which is more than 37 years after his discharge from service. There is no evidence linking the diagnosis to his service or any incident therein.

The Board has granted the Veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection for a left foot disability. The appeal is now remanded for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling new examinations.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is rated as 30 percent disabling. The Board denied a higher rating due to occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform tasks.,Service connection for the right shoulder disability, lumbar spine disability, and left foot disability was not granted because new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims.,The Veteran's sleep apnea is not causally related to his military service. Service connection for migraines was also denied due to lack of causal relationship with military service.,,,

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for an examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected left foot disability, including distinguishing between service-connected and any nonservice-connected symptoms.

The Board has remanded several issues for further examination and opinion, including service connection for various foot conditions and left hand arthritis. The Veteran's claims are pending.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for an additional medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities caused him to become obese, which in turn may have contributed to his sleep apnea.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to new and material evidence, as well as for additional medical examinations.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of any bilateral foot disorder, including whether it is related to service. The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of a nerve disorder, left foot pes planus, bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis, and diastasis were denied. The Veteran was also denied an increased rating for his left foot pes planus prior to May 19, 2017, and a higher rating for bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis since that date.

The Veteran's degenerative joint disease affecting his feet is considered a separate disability from his service-connected pes planus, and thus he is entitled to a separate disability rating.

The Veteran's bilateral plantar fasciitis with pes planus, metatarsalgia, bilateral posterior tibial tendonitis, and residuals of cold weather injuries in the bilateral lower extremities (chilblains) are all granted.,However, the Veteran's fracture of the 4th proximal phalanx of the left foot is denied.

The Veteran's service connection claim for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome was denied. His headaches were granted a 50% rating, and his bilateral plantar fasciitis was granted a 10% rating. However, he did not receive a compensable rating for his bilateral claw foot.

The Veteran's bilateral flat feet were rated at a 30 percent rating prior to February 12, 2019. The disability met the criteria for this rating based on symptoms such as pain and deformity.

The Veteran's claim for VA beneficiary travel benefits to the Omaha VAMC was denied as there were primary care physicians available at a closer VA facility in North Platte, Nebraska.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's right shoulder condition and bilateral pes planus are not service-connected. The case is being remanded for further review.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral pes planus was granted, and he is now entitled to service connection for this condition.,Service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disorder was denied. The Board found that the preexisting condition did not worsen during active service.,The Veteran's sleep apnea claim was denied as there is no evidence of its onset in service, and it is not related to his service-connected psychiatric disability.,Service connection for fibromyalgia was denied because the preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that the condition began during active service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury.

An effective date of December 14, 2015, for a 50 percent rating for migraine headaches is granted.,An effective date prior to August 29, 2016, for a 50 percent rating for bilateral plantar fasciitis is denied.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his service-connected right knee disabilities, PTSD, and bilateral pes planus are remanded due to the need for additional evidence. His claim for service connection for hearing loss is also remanded as it was incorrectly adjudicated.