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

The Board has granted service connection for OSA as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral foot disability with obesity as an intermediate step.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and bilateral foot disabilities due to duty-to-assist errors. The AOJ is instructed to verify the Veteran's periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, and INACDUTRA during his Navy Reserve service, associate any relevant military personnel records with the file, schedule a VA examination to determine the etiology of the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea and bilateral foot conditions, and consider secondary service connection for both issues.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unemployable, and the Board granted his TDIU claim from March 22, 2014.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed without prejudice as he did not reference a specific rating decision in his NODs and the issues were already part of a Legacy Appeal system.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis, as they are related to his service-connected ankle disorder. The decision is pending further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus is currently rated at 30 percent, which approximates the criteria for severe bilateral pes planus. The disability involves pain accentuated on manipulation, marked deformity and pronation, decreased longitudinal arch height not improved by orthopedic shoes or appliances, weight-bearing line falling over or medial to the great toe, as well as subjective complaints of chronic pain.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU from March 29, 2016 was granted due to his service-connected disabilities making it impossible for him to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for additional examinations. The issues include back, hip, foot, and face disabilities, as well as respiratory issues.

The Veteran's bilateral shoulder, knee, and foot conditions are found to have started during service and continue to present. Service connection is granted for left shoulder degenerative arthritis, right shoulder degenerative arthritis, left knee degenerative arthritis, right knee degenerative arthritis, and bilateral pes planus.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus was aggravated by active-duty service, and she is granted service connection for this condition.,Her sarcoidosis is found to have onset during her military service and is related thereto. She is therefore granted service connection for this condition.,There is insufficient evidence to establish a direct link between the Veteran's right hip degenerative arthritis and active-duty service, and she is denied service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and denied claims for hammertoe deformities of the feet, flat feet, hallux rigidus/limitus, hallux valgus, right hip disability, left hip disability, right ankle disability, left ankle disability, and cervical spine disability. The Veteran's laceration scar on his forearm was granted an initial 10% rating effective May 11, 2018.

The Veteran's bilateral plantar fasciitis was caused by his service-connected disabilities, specifically the residuals of a fracture of the distal fibula of the right ankle with arthritis. The Board granted service connection for this condition as secondary to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received to warrant readjudication of the claim for service connection for bilateral flat feet. The Veteran's March 2024 hearing testimony provided details regarding his bilateral flat feet, including its onset prior to service. However, further development is needed due to inconsistencies in previous opinions.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for various ankle and knee conditions have been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's bilateral pes planus (flat feet) as it is at least in equipoise that this condition had its onset during his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings, service connection, and secondary service connection are being remanded due to errors in the duty to assist.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for pes planus, right knee disability, and post-operative residuals of tarsal coalition calcaneonavicular, left foot due to inadequate examination reports. The AOJ is instructed to provide a new examination report that addresses functional loss due to repeat use over time and/or flare-ups.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received to warrant readjudication of the claim for service connection for bilateral flat feet. The Veteran's March 2024 hearing testimony provided details regarding his bilateral flat feet, including its onset prior to service. However, further development is needed due to inconsistencies in previous opinions.

The Board has identified pre-decisional duty to assist errors in the claims for bilateral foot disability, back disability, neck disability, migraine headaches, and PTSD. The Veteran's claims are being remanded for additional development.

The Board has reviewed the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, but found no new and relevant evidence to support readjudication of any of these claims. As such, the claims are denied.