Foot (incl. plantar fasciitis, flat feet) decisions — 2026

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral pes planus, finding that the Veteran's current disability is at least as likely as not related to his in-service complaints of foot pain.

The appeal for an increased disability rating for bilateral pes planus is dismissed as the March 2023 rating decision was a purely ministerial implementation of the February 2023 Board decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeals for higher ratings and service connection, as well as his requests for increased disability rating and TDIU. The appeals were dismissed due to untimeliness.

The Veteran's service connection claim for Obstructive Sleep Apnea was dismissed due to a prohibited concurrent appeal. The claims for Personality Disorder, Left Neck Scar, Right Knee Disability, Left Knee Disability, Bilateral Foot Disability, and Acquired Psychiatric Disorder (MDD and ADHD) are all remanded for further development. Service connection for Hypothyroidism is also remanded.

The Board has dismissed the claims for service connection for left wrist and bilateral foot conditions due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral pes planus and obstructive sleep apnea, as well as remanded the claims of left ankle, right knee, left knee, right hip, and left hip disabilities.

The petition to reopen the claim for service connection for a left hand disability was denied.,The petition to reopen the claim for service connection for right hand disability other than long finger tendinosis with post-traumatic arthritis was denied.,The petition to reopen the claim for service connection for memory loss was denied.,The petition to reopen the claim for service connection for irregular heartbeat was granted.,The petition to reopen the claim for service connection for a bilateral foot disability was denied.

The Veteran's pes planus and right foot condition were found to have been injured in service and are etiologically related. New evidence has been received, warranting readjudication of the claims.

The Board has granted service connection for OSA as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left ankle strain, left knee strain and bilateral pes planus with obesity as an intermediate step. The decision is based on a finding that the service-connected disabilities caused or aggravated the OSA.

The appeal for a higher rating for bilateral plantar fasciitis with bilateral pes planus is dismissed.,The reduction of the disability ratings for low back condition and left knee condition from 20% to 10% and noncompensable, respectively, effective January 29, 2024, was restored.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed because the Board Appeal request was not timely filed with respect to the rating decision issued on October 11, 2022.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus with metatarsalgia, hallux valgus, and degenerative arthritis is related to his military service and has been granted service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral pes planus, cervical strain, and right knee tendinitis have been granted with effective dates of November 9, 2021. The Board has also remanded the cases to assign initial disability evaluations from that date.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to his service-connected major depressive disorder, lumbosacral strain, bilateral plantar fasciitis, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy. The private clinician provided a medical opinion supporting this finding.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to deficiencies in the record, including a lack of VA examinations and consideration of relevant evidence. The claims for increased ratings for anxiety disorder with panic attacks and plantar fasciitis are being addressed, as well as the issue of service connection for pes planus.

The Board found clear and unmistakable error in the April 14, 2000 Rating Decision that denied service connection for bilateral pes planus due to misapplication of law. The correct legal standard requires a finding of 'chronic aggravation' which was not applied by the VA Regional Office. As a result, the Board reversed the decision and granted service connection based on the presumption of aggravation.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to obtain private medical records from the Veteran's rheumatologist and in-patient substance abuse treatment program. The Veteran is asked to provide authorization for these records.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for bilateral pes planus due to conflicting medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's pre-existing condition was aggravated by service.,Service connection for COPD is also remanded as there are no clear and unmistakable errors in prior decisions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to credibility issues with his testimony and lack of supporting medical evidence. The case is being returned for additional development, including obtaining records from the Army National Guard period, left knee surgery records, clarification on TERA exposure details, and a new opinion regarding prostate cancer.

The Veteran's hypertension claim is denied as there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease related to the condition.,Her bilateral plantar fasciitis, to include flat foot, is rated at the maximum schedular disability rating (50%) and additional symptoms are not considered for a higher rating.,The Veteran's scars status post left ankle Kidner procedure with exploration left peroneal tendon do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.