Foot (incl. plantar fasciitis, flat feet) Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for plantar fasciitis as part of the veteran's existing foot injury and assigned a 10% rating for his left foot disability. The right foot disability is not rated due to its minimal symptoms.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities and her Substantive Appeal. The veteran was granted a 70% disability rating for major depression, but not before November 21, 1996.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, finding that there is no evidence to support a plausible claim for any of these conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an extension of a temporary total rating beyond December 31, 1994 due to insufficient evidence showing continued need for convalescence or severe postoperative residuals.

The veteran's bilateral calluses of the feet are productive of not more than symptomatology most consistent with some bilateral foot pain associated with bilateral weak foot, or bilateral anterior metatarsalgia. The Board finds that his disability is most closely analogous to either bilateral weak foot under 38 C.F.R. § 4.71a, Diagnostic Code 5277 (1999), or bilateral anterior metatarsalgia under 38 C.F.R. § 4.71a, Diagnostic Code 5279 (1999).

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral pes planus and a compensable rating for lumbosacral strain, finding that her claims were not well-grounded.

The Board found that the veteran's pes planus pre-existed service and was not aggravated during service. The other foot disorders were not shown to be related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for benign pleural plaques due to asbestos exposure. The claims for service connection for COPD and asthma as due to asbestos exposure are not well grounded.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected bilateral pes planus with osteoarthritic changes and bone spurs, finding that a 30 percent evaluation is appropriate based on the severity of his disability.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for a psychiatric disability and a bilateral foot disability are not well-grounded, as he has not submitted appropriate medical evidence of current disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral pes planus, right shoulder impingement syndrome, and increased ratings for benign prostatic hypertrophy and tinea cruris. The effective date is not specified as the decision was made in March 1998.

The veteran's claims for compensation, service connection, specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant, automobile and adaptive equipment, and special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance or at the housebound rate have all been denied. The denial is due to lack of evidence supporting these claims.

The Board denied all issues related to service connection and evaluations for the veteran's joint conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, sinusitis, irritable bowel syndrome (manifest by lactose intolerance), and pes planus with plantar fasciitis are not well grounded. The evidence does not support a current disability in any of these conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a lung condition, bilateral pes planus, and bilateral plantar fasciitis. The veteran was granted a compensable rating of 10% for her bilateral plantar fasciitis but not for her bilateral pes planus or lung condition.

The veteran's claim for a permanent and total disability rating for pension purposes is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including an examination of the effect of his alcohol and drug abuse on his employability.

The VA determined that the veteran's service-connected bilateral flat feet do not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation, as they are only mild in degree and do not show symptoms such as weight-bearing lines over or medial to the great toes, inward bowing of the Achilles tendon, or pain on manipulation and use of the feet.

The veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been granted. Service connection has been established for neck disability, back disability, bilateral knee and leg disabilities, pes planus, and hearing loss. Increased ratings have been assigned for hypertension and skin disorders.

The Board has found that the veteran's claim for service connection for post traumatic stress disorder is well-grounded. The RO will be required to obtain additional information and evidence from the veteran regarding his claimed in-service stressor, including potential verification of such events through the U.S. Armed Service Center for Research of Unit Records (USASCRUR).

The veteran's claim for a bilateral foot disability was reopened and granted. His PTSD claim was also granted, with both conditions determined to be directly related to his military service.