The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection and increased ratings for various knee, ankle, and foot disabilities due to a lack of competent medical evidence linking these conditions to military service.
The deciding factor: There is no competent medical evidence showing that the appellant currently has residuals of bilateral foot injuries or any other disabilities related to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Residuals of bilateral foot injuries, Residuals of a right knee injury, Residuals of a left knee injury, Residuals of a right ankle injury, Residuals of a left ankle injury, Residuals of a fractured left ribs, Residuals of a left shoulder injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- December 6, 2000
- Citation
- 0031737
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0031737.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's right knee injury and remanded the claim for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for residuals of a left knee injury, sinusitis, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and granted higher ratings of 40 percent each for thoracolumbar spine disability, radiculopathy in the left lower extremity, and headaches.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues of entitlement to service connection for residuals of a right hand and right ankle injuries due to inadequate medical opinions.
- Partly granted
The Board denied ratings in excess of the current assigned ratings for the Veteran's left and right ankle injuries, chronic kidney disease, and patellofemoral pain syndrome of the right knee. However, a 10 percent rating was granted for hypertension.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.