The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of his service-connected bilateral hammer toe disorder is denied as the earliest effective date is April 17, 1995.
The deciding factor: The claim was not received within one year following discharge from service and therefore cannot be granted prior to that date.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hammer toe
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 2, 2001
- Citation
- 0112531
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 0112531.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral pes planus, bilateral hammer toe, a lumbar spine disability, a pelvic disability, and a right hip disability as the evidence did not support that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by active military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination reports and the need for further development, including obtaining a new VA examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's foot disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to the need for new VA examinations and for obtaining outstanding medical records.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hammer toe as the Veteran's pre-existing condition did not worsen during his active duty service.
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.