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

The Veteran's lumbar spine, left knee, and right inguinal hernia disabilities have been granted service connection.,Service connection for a bilateral foot disability, skin condition (claimed as dermatitis), and lung or respiratory condition (claimed as bronchitis) is remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) was denied. The Board found that there is no current TBI and the lay reports were not competent to establish the existence of a current disability. For the issue of total disability rating based upon individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities prior to September 14, 2015, the Veteran's combined schedular disability rating did not meet the minimum requirements for consideration under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(a). The Board found that the Veteran was unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities prior to September 14, 2015.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's current foot disabilities are related to service, specifically his pre-existing pes planus. The examiner is requested to provide an opinion on this matter.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his psychiatric condition and various musculoskeletal issues, did not preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment. The Board found that the Veteran had a solid foundation for employment based on his education and work history, despite some limitations due to his disabilities.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of left foot disability, and the Board dismissed the case as a result.

The Veteran's appeal is denied for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for GERD. The effective dates assigned are correct.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and granted.,Service connection has also been granted for IBS, with the presumption of exposure to Southwest Asia.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for various lower extremity conditions are being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and consideration of new evidence.

The Board has denied service connection for a cervical spine disability and remanded the claims of service connection for a lumbar spine disability, bilateral foot disability other than pes planus (hallux valgus and degenerative joint disease), and individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities. The case is being returned to the RO for further development.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral knee disability was reopened, and he is now granted service connection. His claims for asthma are also granted, but his claims for thyroid disability, cervical spine disability, hypertension (secondary to major depressive disorder), sleep disability, bilateral hip disability, and erectile dysfunction (secondary to thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis with IVDS) remain pending.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected. The left knee, bilateral heel disorder with plantar fasciitis (secondary to the non-service-connected left knee disorder), left wrist disorder, right wrist disorder, lumbosacral strain, hypertension, migraines, and vertigo/syncope are all remanded for further review.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to outstanding private treatment records and a need for another examination of the Veteran's left foot. The issue is not about service connection, but rather about increasing disability ratings.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for various foot and ankle disorders due to insufficient opinions addressing aggravation or direct service connection, as well as new evidence being needed.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus. Effective dates of June 23, 2017 have been granted for service connection awards for bilateral flat feet, hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities due to inadequate etiology opinions and outstanding records. The issues include right shoulder, left shoulder, left knee, tinnitus, left foot, right ankle, and asthma.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's appeal for earlier effective dates and service connection issues due to procedural defects. The AOJ must consider the application of 38 C.F.R. § 3.156(b) and Bond v. Shinseki, 659 F.3d 1362 (Fed. Cir. 2011), and Beraud v. McDonald, 766 F.3d 1402 (Fed. Cir. 2014). The AOJ must also provide an examination to determine the nature and etiology of any right foot disability for which service connection has not been established.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for back and right foot disabilities due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for left femur condition and bilateral foot disability due to the need for additional development, including verification of dates of active duty, ACDUTRA, or INACDUTRA, and obtaining medical opinions regarding the relationship between the disabilities and service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral flat foot condition and a foot condition, to include plantar fasciitis and heel spurs. The case is being sent back for an addendum opinion from a VA examiner.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for low back, left foot, right foot, left knee, and right knee disabilities due to the need for further medical examination and opinion regarding the nature and etiology of these conditions.