The Board found no clear and unmistakable error in the September 1958 rating decision that denied service connection for hammertoes of the right foot, as the RO had a sound medical basis to conclude that the condition was congenital or developmental.
The deciding factor: The VA's conclusion that the veteran's hammertoe deformity was congenital or developmental in nature based on clinical findings from the 1958 VA examination is not undebatable and reasonable minds can differ.
- Claimed conditions
- hammertoes of the right foot
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 13, 2002
- Citation
- 0202363
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0202363.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal of the May 2024 rating decision regarding service connection for hammertoes of the bilateral feet and varicose veins of the bilateral lower extremities has been dismissed due to a procedural defect in concurrent election.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeals regarding service connection for various foot and knee conditions due to the Veteran's death during the appeal process.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for further development regarding his right foot disability, specifically addressing whether he has metatarsalgia and hammertoes of the right foot that are related to his service-connected heloma durum. The case will be readjudicated based on this additional information.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, leading to the grant of TDIU from September 6, 2016.
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