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

The Veteran's preexisting bilateral pes planus was aggravated during active service, and the Board granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus and bilateral plantar fasciitis were dismissed because the Veteran did not timely file a VA Form 10182 (Notice of Disagreement) to appeal the denial of these claims.

The Veteran's appeal for TDIU, DEA benefits, and SMC prior to October 2, 2017 was denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the schedular criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability during this period due to his service-connected disabilities. The Veteran also did not have a permanent total service-connected disability in effect prior to October 2, 2017. Effective April 19, 2021, but no earlier, the Veteran was granted SMC benefits based on individual unemployability.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to various dates have been dismissed as the decisions were final and not subject to revision.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral pes planus and bilateral tendonitis, finding that the evidence supports a link between these conditions and the Veteran's active duty service.

The Board has decided that service connection for plantar fasciitis is denied. The remaining claims of service connection for allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, bronchitis with chronic cough, anxiety, depression, insomnia, headaches, acid reflux with nausea, benign prostatic hyperplasia with voiding dysfunction, kidney stones, cervicalgia, lumbago, sciatica, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, bilateral elbow epicondylitis, a left knee condition, and right knee strain are remanded for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for diabetes, left foot injury, left ankle disability, and left hip disability due to incomplete military personnel records and lack of VA treatment records. The Veteran's service connection claims will be reconsidered after obtaining these records.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, right hallux valgus, left hallux valgus, right pes planus with metatarsalgia, left pes planus with metatarsalgia, right foot hammer toes disability, and left foot hammer toes disability. The decision is based on the Veteran's credible lay accounts of symptoms in service and ongoing pain.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for service connection of pes planus, finding that the Veteran's May 1995 claim did not raise a claim for this condition and thus no prior pending claim existed. The appeal was denied as there is not an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral pes planus, plantar fasciitis, lumbosacral strain, left knee strain, and right knee strain due to insufficient rationale in the VA examiners' opinions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including left hip osteoarthritis and left knee status post total replacement, are now rated as 60 percent disabling when combined with other conditions. Effective January 30, 2023, the Veteran is granted special monthly compensation at the housebound rate.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraine headaches has been granted, with a 10% initial rating effective April 12, 2021. The claim for an increased rating for bilateral plantar fasciitis is also granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation, as he has completed at least four years of college and worked as a college professor for over 30 years. The Board finds that the combined effect of his service-connected conditions does not preclude him from participating in a substantially gainful occupation.

The appeal for service connection for a right foot disability is dismissed due to an administrative error in accepting the Veteran's Notice of Disagreement on the October 2021 rating decision.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral pes planus should be remanded due to an inadequate medical opinion and need for further development.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable initial rating for migraines with nausea was denied.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating greater than 70 percent for PTSD, major depressive disorder and SUD (alcohol, cannabis, amphetamines) was denied.,The Veteran's claim for a rating greater than 20 percent for metatarsalgia and plantar fasciitis of the left foot was denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee disorder, right knee disorder, and pes planus of both feet. The evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran had these conditions during her active service or at any time since then.,For plantar fasciitis of the left foot, the Board found no current disability meeting the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's nerve condition, pes planus, metatarsalgia, hallux valgus, and arthritis of the bilateral feet are granted. The back condition and valvular heart disease secondary to service-connected hypertension are remanded for further review.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as major depression and anxiety disorder, was found to be causally linked to his service-connected traumatic brain injury. His tinnitus was also granted based on credible reports of in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's bilateral plantar fasciitis and pes planus are rated at 10 percent, but the Board found no evidence to support a higher rating due to lack of relief from non-surgical treatment.