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

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for neurobehavioral effects/neurasthenia, depression and anxiety (including as secondary to neurobehavioral effects/neurasthenia), and bilateral plantar fasciitis due to insufficient development. The Veteran's Social Security Administration disability benefits records need to be obtained, along with any private medical records related to his claims.

Service connection for a right ankle disability, bilateral foot disability (including pes planus and/or right foot plantar fasciitis), and tinnitus has been granted.,The Veteran's current diagnoses of right foot plantar fasciitis, bilateral pes planus, and tinnitus are related to his service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral pes planus, bilateral plantar fasciitis, and left foot tarsal tunnel. The right hip disability and bilateral knee pain are remanded for further examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hand disability, right hip arthritis, and left foot disability. The decision also remanded several issues for further development.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of bilateral pes planus and plantar fasciitis, degenerative disc disease and spondylosis of the thoracolumbar spine, arthritis of the left knee, radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve of the lower extremities, and residual scarring from salivary gland surgery have all been denied. The effective dates for service connection grants are also denied.

The Board dismissed the appeal of five separate issues related to service connection for various conditions, as the appellant died during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the Veteran's current functional impairment due to his service-connected disabilities. The effective dates for the awards of service connection for right foot plantar fasciitis, hallux valgus, and hammer toes are not addressed in this decision.

The Board has remanded several issues due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the relationship between service and certain disabilities.,These include lung disability, headache disability, dermatological disorder, bilateral foot disability, sleep disorder, hip strain, and ankle disability.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for bilateral plantar dermatosis with bunions and calluses is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a new VA examination.

The Board denied reopening of claims for urinary incontinence, rectal, bowel or colon disability, bilateral foot disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, and left and right thumb disabilities due to lack of new and material evidence. The RO's June 1971 decision granting service connection for chronic anxiety reaction was not found to be clearly and unmistakably erroneous.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is granted a 70% disability rating, effective from August 14, 2013. The remaining issues of service connection for various foot and ankle conditions, shin splints, and sleep apnea are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of a secondary service connection opinion for the left knee disability. The Veteran is seeking service connection for her left knee disability as being related to her service-connected hammer toes and pes planus.

Major depressive disorder has been granted service connection and is rated at 70 percent.,Service connection for sinusitis has been granted. The Veteran was treated for sinusitis during active service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for plantar fasciitis of both feet and esophageal disorder (GERD and hiatal hernia). The Board found that there was no evidence to support a nexus between the current conditions and active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for various service-connected conditions were denied. The lumbar sprain and cervical spine degenerative arthritis prior to August 24, 2011 are rated at 20 percent each, but not higher. Other conditions have been denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for higher initial ratings for left and right foot disabilities due to an inadequate September 2017 VA examination. The Veteran needs a new VA examination to assess the severity of his foot disabilities, including range of motion in both active and passive motion, during flare-ups.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating of polyneuropathy of the left lower extremity is granted. The claims for service connection related to low back, ankle, and foot disabilities are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disorder is granted as secondary to service-connected right and left knee patellofemoral syndrome and bilateral pes planus. The Veteran's bilateral pes planus, migraine headaches, right and left knee patellofemoral syndromes are all denied.

The Veteran's bilateral plantar fasciitis and thoracolumbar strain have been granted a disability rating of 50 percent, effective from March 30, 2018. The cervical strain has not met the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has denied service connection for left shoulder disability, chest pain, low back disability, skin disability, and bilateral foot disability as secondary to a skin disability. The evidence does not support the Veteran's claims of in-service onset or causation.