The Board denied the appellant's claim for entitlement to a disability evaluation in excess of 30 percent for the veteran's bilateral flat feet, for accrued benefits purposes. The evidence did not reveal pronounced symptomatology prior to the veteran's death that would warrant a higher evaluation under Diagnostic Code 5276.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the veteran's bilateral flat foot disability was manifested by severe symptoms but did not meet the criteria for a 50 percent evaluation (pronounced bilateral flatfoot) as there were no findings of marked pronation, extreme tenderness of plantar surfaces of the feet, marked inward displacement and severe spasm of the tendo achillis on manipulation.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral flat feet
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- February 27, 2002
- Citation
- 0201907
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 0201907.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection were dismissed due to untimely filing of the Board Appeal requests.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's passing during its pendency.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development, including obtaining private treatment records and scheduling VA examinations.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral flat feet, finding that the condition increased in severity during active-duty service and was not due to the natural progression of the disease.
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