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

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for upper extremity disability, pes planus, right great toe injury, and sleep apnea due to inadequate opinions from VA examiners. The cases are being returned for further development.

The Veteran's initial disability rating for his right ankle medial malleolar fracture, status post ORIF, with a scar is denied. However, the Veteran's service connection claim for left foot plantar fasciitis as secondary to his service-connected right ankle disorder is granted.

The Board has granted temporary 100 percent ratings for convalescence based on surgeries performed in November 2011 and October 2013, resulting from service-connected bilateral foot disability (other than pes planus), diagnosed as plantar fibromatosis, bilateral union deformities and callus sub fourth on the right.

The Board has remanded two issues: service connection for a back disability and the rating of the Veteran's right foot plantar fibromatosis. The Veteran contends that his back pain started during service and is related to his service-connected right foot condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right foot plantar fasciitis and an initial increased rating for meralgia paresthetica, left lower extremity disability. The claim for a higher rating for low back strain was remanded.

The Veteran's service connection claim for plantar fasciitis is granted as the evidence supports a finding that his current condition began in service and has persisted since then.

The Veteran's lumbar spine and bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis disabilities are rated at 10% and 20%, respectively. The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to determine if the current ratings adequately reflect her conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to additional evidence being added to the file and potential exposure in Vietnam. The Veteran is asked to provide any missing records or authorization.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral pes planus, shin splints of the left leg, and shin splints of the right leg due to lack of evidence supporting a current diagnosis or a link between the conditions and service.

The Board denied service connection for a left foot disability and a left knee disability. The Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD, secondary to military sexual trauma is remanded.,Service connection cannot be granted as the evidence does not establish that the claimed stressors occurred during active duty.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to an unresolved issue regarding left leg length discrepancy. The remaining issues of service connection and eligibility will be reconsidered after resolving this issue.

The Veteran's right hip strain, bilateral foot disabilities (other than pes planus), and bilateral pes planus have been granted service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there was no evidence of a nexus between the claimed conditions and active service.,No effective dates are granted as all claims predate May 3, 2016.

The Veteran's preexisting bilateral pes planus was found to have been aggravated by service, allowing for service connection. The Veteran's bilateral tarsal tunnel syndrome is currently rated at the maximum non-compensable level.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the remaining issues on appeal, including scheduling VA examinations and obtaining outstanding records.

The Board denied service connection for flat feet and degenerative joint disease of the left great toe, finding that there was no increase in severity during service and considering the Veteran's contemporaneous reports as evidence of continuity of symptomology.

The petition to reopen claims for service connection for various disabilities is granted. The cases are remanded for further development and adjudication.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for hearing loss has been withdrawn, and the issue is dismissed without prejudice. The issues of entitlement to increased ratings for various disabilities are remanded.

The Board has denied the Veteran's request for an initial rating higher than 10 percent for his right foot disability and has remanded the issue of service connection for a left foot disability due to insufficient examination findings.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability was rated as noncompensable from September 3, 2012 through February 3, 2016 and in excess of 40 percent from February 4, 2016.,The Veteran's left heel plantar fasciitis was rated at 10 percent from September 3, 2012 through February 3, 2016 and in excess of 30 percent from February 4, 2016.