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

The Veteran requested to withdraw their appeal for the issues of effective dates earlier than January 26, 2014 for service connection granted for allergic rhinitis, plantar fasciitis, right foot injury with arthritis, and PTSD.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for schizophrenia is reopened, but the condition is not found to be related to his military service.,Service connection for upper and lower back pain is denied as there is no evidence that the condition began during or was caused by his military service.,Service connection for bilateral pes planus/flat feet is denied because it preexisted his entry into active service and the presumption of soundness applies.,Service connection for ED secondary to sleep apnea is denied as there is no evidence showing worsening of the condition due to a service-connected disability.,Service connection for bilateral tinea pedis (Athlete’s Foot) is denied because there is no evidence that it began during or was caused by his military service.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no current diagnosis of hearing loss for VA purposes.,Service connection for vertigo is denied as the condition does not meet the criteria to be considered secondary to a service-connected disability.

The Board has granted service connection for left and right foot disabilities. The remaining claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus, stroke, hips, lumbar spine, knees, and hypertension are remanded as the Veteran needs to be afforded VA examinations to determine if these conditions are secondary to his now service-connected bilateral foot disabilities.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection and evaluations of various disabilities. The Veteran will need to undergo VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions, as well as to assess the severity of his current disabilities.

Service connection is denied for bilateral pes planus, lumbar strain, scoliosis, bilateral ankle disorder (shin splints), fibromyalgia, and bilateral hearing loss. Service connection is granted for tinnitus.,The Veteran's pes planus was noted at the time of entrance into service but did not permanently worsen in active service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his right ankle disability and depression, rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to June 8, 2010. The Board granted entitlement to TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's disability rating for pes planus, bilateral, with osteoarthritis of the left first MTP and fifth interphalangeal joints was reduced from 50% to 10%, but this reduction is not proper. The Court has restored a 50% disability rating effective April 10, 2017.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral foot disability, finding that there is no current evidence of such a condition and noting that his lay statements regarding in-service occurrence of this injury are credible. The Board also found that the medical opinions supporting the claim were not based on factual premises supported by clinical data.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right foot disabilities have been reopened. The case is REMANDED to obtain additional medical evidence and determine the etiology of any current foot disabilities.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for left and right foot disabilities, other than pes planus, have been dismissed.,Service connection has been granted for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and sleep disorder, but has remanded his remaining service connection claims due to insufficient evidence. The decision also granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for right foot/ankle disability, erectile dysfunction, and dizziness due to insufficient medical opinions addressing the etiology of these conditions. The claim for increased ratings for back disability is also being remanded.

The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were not service-connected as they did not occur during or due to military service. However, the Veteran's right ankle, left ankle, right knee, left knee, right hip, and left hip disabilities are secondary to his service-connected flat feet.,Service connection was granted for tinnitus but denied for hearing loss.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of service connection for left foot, right foot, left-hand, and right-hand disabilities due to his training as a boxer in service. The claims are being remanded for further action.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral pes planus needs to be remanded due to insufficient review of his service treatment records and need for a medical opinion regarding aggravation.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis with right heel spur and obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there is no evidence to support a relationship between these conditions and his military service or any service-connected disabilities.

The claims for increased evaluations of the Veteran's ankle and foot disabilities, as well as her TDIU claim prior to July 28, 2013, are being remanded due to errors in rating decisions and need further review.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for pes planus (flat feet) as there was no evidence of aggravation during service and the condition was noted at entry but not worsened.

The appeal for service connection for internal abdominal disabilities due to Camp Lejeune water has been dismissed. The appeals for right-side pain disorder and bilateral pes planus are remanded.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, low back disability, and pes planus. The Veteran's claims were based on in-service noise exposure.,Service connection was not granted as the evidence did not show a current disability of bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus that is related to service.