Foot (incl. plantar fasciitis, flat feet) decisions — 2020

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left shoulder disability and has remanded the issue of service connection for her left foot disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral foot disability, finding that there was no direct evidence linking his current condition to his military service and rejecting secondary service connection based on lack of service-connected back disability.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including bilateral plantar fasciitis, a callus of the left foot, and kidney disease. The Veteran was exposed to aircraft fuel and hydraulic fluid during service, which may be relevant to his current conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right foot disability, to include nerve problems, as secondary to his service-connected degenerative arthrosis of the lumbar spine. The Board found that the Veteran does not have a separate and distinct right foot disability.

PTSD has been granted as related to an in-service stressor.,The claim for cancer of the left pharyngeal tonsil is remanded due to lack of evidence corroborating exposure to ionizing radiation.

The appeal for an increased rating for tinnitus is dismissed. The October 2014 Notice of Disagreement was timely regarding the November 2013 and February 2014 rating decisions, but the June 2018 NOD was not valid as it raised issues that had never been adjudicated before.

The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for bilateral pes planus prior to August 2, 2017 was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating higher than 30 percent.

The Board has remanded the claim for a left foot/ankle disorder due to insufficient evidence regarding its onset and relationship to service.

The Veteran's initial claims for increased ratings and service connection have been REMANDED due to the need for additional development, including examinations.

The Veteran's IBS, RUE CTS, lumbar spine disability, right and left ankle disabilities, right knee disability, left knee disability, left foot disability, right wrist disability, left wrist disability, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, right elbow disability, and disability affecting the right hand/fingers are all granted as service-connected. The Veteran's sleep disorder is also granted as service-connected.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 30 percent for bilateral pes planus prior to February 18, 2020 was denied as her disability did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 5276.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right foot degenerative arthritis and plantar fasciitis due to a lack of an addendum opinion addressing whether his pre-existing conditions were aggravated during honorable active duty.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral plantar fasciitis was granted a 10% disability rating prior to April 17, 2019 and a 30% disability rating from that date forward.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for pes planus, finding that there is no current diagnosis of this condition and thus not meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Board has denied service connection for pes planus and peripheral neuropathy of the feet, finding that any increase in severity was due to natural progression of the conditions. Service connection is not granted as there is no evidence of aggravation beyond normal progression.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received to warrant readjudication of the previously denied claims for service connection for bilateral heel spurs disability and bilateral pes planus. However, due to a duty-to-assist error, the case is being remanded for further development.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's currently diagnosed bilateral plantar fasciitis is related to service, but a remand is required due to a duty to assist error.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral pes planus with left foot plantar fasciitis and migraines have been denied as the evidence does not show that her conditions warrant a rating higher than 30 percent.

The Board has granted service connection for a right knee disability and a left foot disability, including heel pain, pes planus, and hallux valgus.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate development and compliance with previous remands. The issues include knee, shoulder, elbow, neck, and foot disabilities.