Foot (incl. plantar fasciitis, flat feet) decisions — 2023

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and flat feet, and remanded the issue of entitlement to a compensable disability rating for hematuria. The case is being returned to the AOJ for further development.

An effective date of October 3, 2017, is granted for an initial rating of 50 percent for bilateral pes planus. Service connection for headaches as secondary to a neck disability is also granted.

The Board has dismissed all claims related to service connection and rating determinations for various conditions, including loss of smell, migraine disability, left foot pes planus, PTSD with TBI, respiratory disability, popping of fingers, and back disability. The Veteran did not have a diagnosed back disability during the appeal period.

The Board has remanded the case for an addendum medical opinion to address service connection and compensation claims related to a bilateral foot disability. The Veteran's claim is being considered under both direct service connection and under 38 U.S.C. § 1151.

Service connection for prostate cancer is denied as there was no in-service disease or injury indicative of the condition, and it is not related to service.,Service connection for left foot disability is denied due to lack of evidence showing a disease or injury during service.,Service connection for right foot disability is denied due to lack of evidence showing a disease or injury during service.,Service connection for left CTS is denied as there was no in-service onset and it is not related to service.,Service connection for right CTS is denied as it is not caused or aggravated by a service-connected disability.,Service connection for vision disability (bilateral cataracts, bilateral dry eye syndrome, bilateral vitreous floaters, and bilateral pinguecula) is denied due to lack of evidence showing a disease or injury during service.,Service connection for lumbar spine disability is denied as there was no in-service onset and it is not related to service.,Service connection for cervical spine disability is denied as there was no in-service onset and it is not related to service.,Service connection for vitiligo is denied due to lack of evidence showing a disease or injury during service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left foot plantar fasciitis and left ankle condition have been granted. The Board also remanded several other issues, including initial increased ratings for various hip conditions.

Your claims for service connection have been granted. The Board has found new and relevant evidence that supports your claims.

The appeal of the claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability (TDIU) is dismissed as it was not validly opted-in to the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA) system and remains pending in the Legacy system.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus (claimed as bilateral flatfeet) was clearly and unmistakably preexisting, but it worsened during service. The Board found that the aggravation of the condition was due to activities during service and granted the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's migraine headaches are rated at 30 percent, and service connection is granted for a low back disorder, bilateral pes planus, but RLE and LLE radiculopathy are denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various conditions, including diabetes, congestive heart failure, renal kidney failure, hypertension, flat feet, an acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD and alcohol use disorder), stomach ulcers, hearing loss, tinnitus, and migraines. The reasons for remand include a lack of evidence regarding exposure to chemicals in service, the need to verify in-service stressors, and incomplete records from Dr. P. Weaver.

The Veteran's asthma is related to exposure to burn pits while serving in Saudi Arabia. The Board granted service connection for this condition, finding it meets the criteria for presumptive service connection under the PACT Act.

The Board has granted readjudication of the issue of service connection for bilateral pes planus, but has remanded it due to a need for an addendum opinion regarding whether the Veteran's pes planus increased in severity during active service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis, finding that his preexisting condition was aggravated by active service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral pes planus, left hip osteoarthritis, and right hip osteoarthritis. The evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether these conditions began in service.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus was noted at entry to service and is considered a pre-existing disability. The presumption of aggravation attaches, and the Board finds that there is not clear and unmistakable evidence that the condition did not worsen during service.,Service connection for right ankle disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability are granted as secondary to the now-service-connected pes planus.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including a VA examination to assess the presence of any associated peripheral nerve condition and for completion of his TDIU application.

Service connection for a right knee disability, tinnitus, and bilateral foot disability is granted.,Service connection for a right hip disability and hemorrhoids is denied.

The Board has determined that the VA medical opinions provided in March and August 2023 are inadequate to address all of the issues raised by the Veteran's representative. The Board is therefore remanding the case for further examination and opinion.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disability and a right foot disability, finding that there is relative equipoise in the evidence regarding whether these conditions had their onset during his active service.