Foot (incl. plantar fasciitis, flat feet) decisions — 2024

The Board has denied service connection for right ear hearing loss due to the absence of a current disability. The claims for chronic left knee pain, chronic right knee pain, left foot plantar fasciitis, and hypertension are remanded as there is insufficient medical evidence addressing their etiology.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right foot, plantar fasciitis is being remanded due to a lack of consideration of the Veteran's lay statements regarding his symptoms and their relation to military service.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus is granted with a 30% rating, effective December 24, 2020. The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral plantar fasciitis is remanded due to inadequate VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal for a low back disability is dismissed as moot because it was part of an erroneously created separate appeal stream. The other claims (bilateral plantar fasciitis and increased rating for hypertension) are still pending.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for left foot, right foot, and right knee disabilities due to incomplete duty-to-assist errors in previous examinations.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus is rated at 10 percent prior to May 30, 2019. The Board found that the symptoms did not meet criteria for a higher rating as there was no objective evidence of marked deformity or characteristic callouses.

The Veteran's chronic sinusitis and allergic rhinitis are related to his service-connected deviated septum, while his bilateral pes planus was aggravated by active-duty service. The effective date for the grant of a 40 percent rating for lower back disorder is July 19, 2019.,Service connection has been granted for chronic sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, and bilateral pes planus with an effective date set at July 19, 2019.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lumbar spine disorder, cervical spine disorder, bilateral knee disorder, and bilateral pes planus due to issues with the addendum opinions provided by VA examiners. The examiner is requested to address the Veteran's statements regarding her in-service duties and motor vehicle accidents.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral pes planus, finding that there is no current diagnosis of this condition and insufficient evidence to establish a link between the condition and service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral pes planus, and degenerative arthritis of the right ankle, prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment from December 15, 2011 to January 17, 2017. The Board granted TDIU on an extraschedular basis for this period.

The Veteran's skin diseases of the feet, bilateral pes planus with metatarsalgia, and hallux valgus of both feet are not rated higher than 10 percent.,A rating in excess of 30 percent for bilateral pes planus with metatarsalgia is denied.

Service connection for prostate cancer is granted on a presumptive basis due to herbicide exposure in Vietnam. The claim for bilateral pes planus is remanded and will be readjudicated based on new evidence received since the last denial.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been granted service connection. The right hip, left knee, and right foot conditions have been remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board restored service connection for the seven claimed conditions, effective from July 1, 2020.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral pes planus and denied service connection for right ear hearing loss, constipation, and hypertension. The case was remanded for further action on the issue of left ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's bilateral foot disorder, shoulder disorders, low back disorder, and knee disorders are not service-connected. The GI disorder is presumed to be due to Camp Lejeune exposure.,Further examination is needed for the shoulders, low back, knees, and GI issues.

The Veteran's bilateral flat feet were granted service connection as they began during active service. However, his right knee condition was denied as it is not related to military service.

The Board has determined that additional examinations and development are necessary to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection, disability ratings, and psychiatric issues. The appeals will be remanded to allow for further review of the evidence.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development to comply with prior directives, including obtaining a VA medical opinion that considers the significance of Reserve service and periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, and INACDUTRA.

The Board has found that the VA did not substantially comply with its prior remand orders regarding scheduling of medical examinations for the Veteran's service connection claims. The appeals are therefore being returned to the AOJ for further development.