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

The Board has determined that the VA examinations and opinions provided are inadequate for several of the issues on appeal. The claims must be remanded to obtain additional medical opinions addressing the etiology of the Veteran's disabilities, as well as any aggravation or secondary service connection.,The Board also notes that some of the issues have not been fully developed with respect to obtaining treatment records and other evidence.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination and a need for an adequate aggravation opinion regarding the Veteran's preexisting bilateral pes planus.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral foot disability, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and bilateral shoulder disability due to incomplete information from Social Security Administration (SSA) and United States Postal Service (USPS).

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for various disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, loss of sense of smell and taste, sleep disorder, left knee disability, lumbar spine disability, and left foot disability. The Veteran is to be afforded VA examinations to address the nature, extent, and etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left foot arthritis, as well as bilateral pes planus (flat feet/pes planus), were denied. The claim for increased ratings for bilateral pes planus prior to August 17, 2020, was also denied.,For the lumbar spine disability, an increased rating beyond 40 percent was not granted due to lack of evidence of unfavorable ankylosis.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's bilateral plantar warts and bunions require a remand for further evaluation, as there is no recent VA examination to assess their current severity. The TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Veteran's initial 30 percent rating for bilateral foot disorder prior to May 11, 2015 is granted. A higher 50 percent rating from May 11, 2015 remains pending and will be remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral plantar fasciitis is denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral pes planus is remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 100% effective August 1, 2018. The rating was reduced to 50% in July 2019 due to improvement under ordinary conditions of life and work. The appeal is granted as the reduction was improper.,Effective dates for service connection are determined based on when entitlement arose or when a claim was received within one year of separation from service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left foot disorders and whether they are aggravated by his service-connected right ankle disability. The AOJ must request an independent medical expert opinion on these issues.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus is rated at 30 percent prior to September 28, 2020 and 50 percent thereafter. The Board denied the claim for higher ratings.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate statement of reasons or bases for denying a higher rating for left foot disability. A new examination is required to determine the current severity of the Veteran's condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for a bilateral foot disability, back disability, right ankle disability, and arthritis due to inadequate examination reports that did not consider the Veteran’s lay statements about his symptoms during service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected bilateral pes planus caused or contributed to his death, including his morbid obesity and subsequent cardiac arrhythmia.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 30 percent for the Veteran's bilateral pes planus, finding that the evidence did not show pronounced bilateral acquired flatfoot with extreme tenderness of plantar surfaces or marked inward displacement and severe spasm of the Achilles tendon on manipulation.

The Veteran's claims for hepatitis C, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including depression and PTSD), right hand disorders, left hand disorders, left foot disability, right knee disability, right hip disability, and right leg disability are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations. The Veteran's claim for dizzy spells is also being remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for a bilateral foot disability, including pes planus with plantar fasciitis and degenerative joint disease of the tarsometatarsal articulation. The claim for service connection for a bilateral eye disability is remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude her from securing and following substantially gainful employment consistent with her educational and occupational experience, thus the TDIU claim is denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions and need for updated VA treatment records. The issues include chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic constipation, PTSD, bilateral hip disability, hand disability, foot disability, right elbow disability, left elbow disability, and bilateral knee disability.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed because he died during the pendency of his case, and the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of his claim.