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

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's current foot disabilities are related to service. The AOJ is required to provide an examination and obtain a medical opinion.

The Board has determined that there are duty to assist errors in the prior decision and remands the case for further development.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis is dismissed. The issue will be remanded in a separate Board decision.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left foot, left knee, and right knee disabilities due to inadequate VA examinations that did not address potential aggravation by obesity related to diabetes.

The Veteran's appeals for an increased rating for gastroesophageal reflux disease and service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis are being remanded due to a failure by the AOJ to provide notice of his right to a hearing before the AOJ.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate VA opinions regarding aggravation of pre-existing pes planus and development of plantar fasciitis and bilateral tendinitis during service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an upper respiratory condition is denied as there is no evidence of a current diagnosis or in-service incurrence.,A 50 percent disability rating for bilateral plantar fasciitis prior to July 9, 2021 is granted. The Veteran is already receiving the maximum schedular rating for this period.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to errors in the previous VA examinations and opinions. The issues of left knee disability, left foot disability (pes planus), and tinnitus are being reviewed with new evidence and expert opinion.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral pes planus and its relationship to service. The Veteran will need a VA examination to determine if his current foot condition is related to service, whether it preexisted service, and if so, whether any increase in severity during service was due to natural progression.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's pre-existing bilateral pes planus was aggravated by service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral foot disorder, as there is no current diagnosis of such disorder during the appeal period.

The effective date prior to October 1, 2012 for the grant of service connection for migraines and PTSD is denied.,The reduction in disability rating from 30 percent to 10 percent for pes planus with plantar fasciitis was not proper and is void ab initio.

The Veteran's dry-eye syndrome and xerosis cutis of the bilateral feet are granted as secondary to service-connected disabilities.,However, his orthopedic disabilities (claimed as arthritis) and bilateral foot disability (hallux valgus) are denied.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions did not render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment prior to October 21, 2015.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left foot plantar fasciitis, as well as his requests for increased ratings for GERD with IBS are being remanded due to procedural errors in the adjudication process.,For the initial rating claim of an increase in disability rating for GERD prior to July 28, 2021, the evidence is in relative equipoise regarding whether the Veteran's symptoms meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus has been granted. The claim for service connection for bilateral foot disability is being remanded.

The Board has found that the Veteran's service connection claims for various disabilities are remanded due to errors in obtaining and reviewing VA treatment records prior to August 2019, as well as failing to schedule a VA examination.

The Veteran's initial disability rating for migraine headaches is granted at a 30 percent level. The claims of service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis, right leg shin splints, and left leg shin splints are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions.

The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for acne and a higher effective date for service connection for rhinitis were denied. The claim for PTSD with major depressive disorder and anxious distress was also denied, but the effective date for the assigned 70 percent rating was not changed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral pes planus was clearly and unmistakably pre-existing his active service, but did not find clear and unmistakable evidence of aggravation during service. Therefore, the claim for service connection is granted.