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

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and increased ratings due to inconsistencies in previous examinations and the need for a new medical opinion on secondary service connection.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error and requires an addendum medical opinion regarding the Veteran's claimed bilateral plantar fasciitis.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's preexisting right foot pes planus was aggravated by military service, and thus remands the case for further examination to determine if aggravation occurred.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right foot disabilities, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current disabilities and active duty service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for right foot conditions, including as secondary to his service-connected right fifth toe disability.,The Board also remanded the issue of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, attributing it to PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error, as there is insufficient evidence to determine if obesity was an intermediate step between service-connected disabilities and left foot plantar fasciitis.

The Board remands the service connection claim for bilateral pes planus as it finds an inadequate medical opinion and requires additional evidence.

The appeal for service connection for an eye/vision disability was dismissed, and the claim for bilateral plantar fasciitis was not readjudicated due to a lack of new and relevant evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral leg and foot disabilities, finding no current disability associated with his reported symptoms.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a clothing allowance due to Capsaicin cream used to treat his service-connected lumbosacral strain and/or bilateral pes planus pain in calendar year 2019, as the prescribed medication was determined not to cause permanent damage to clothing.

The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) due to obesity, as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected conditions. The claims for right and left foot pes planus with hallux valgus and hypertension were remanded.

The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, diagnosed as unspecified anxiety disorder and intermittent explosive disorder, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The issues of entitlement to service connection for a lumbar spine disability, right foot disability, and tinnitus are remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected pes planus was granted an earlier effective date of August 4, 1979, for a rating of 50 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral pes planus, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the condition and his active service.

The Board granted service connection for a back disability and increased the ratings for left and right upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome to 60 percent and 50 percent, respectively. The Veteran was also granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including a back condition, hearing loss, tinnitus, diabetes mellitus type 2, and various musculoskeletal disorders. The appeal of the claims for a back condition, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus was dismissed due to untimely notice of disagreement.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and rating of various conditions are being remanded due to insufficient evidence in the record.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral foot condition, including pes planus, finding that there was no evidence of an increase in his pre-existing condition during service and thus denying the claim.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral plantar fasciitis and PTSD with unspecified depressive disorder are being remanded due to errors in the AOJ's duty to assist.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeal for several issues related to service connection and disability ratings, as the appellant requested withdrawal of these appeals prior to the decision being made.