The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for a chronic foot disorder, which was previously denied in January 1994.
The deciding factor: The newly submitted evidence includes diagnoses of plantar fasciitis and biomechanical imbalance, which were not considered in the prior determinations and are not shown to be congenital in nature. As these reports include findings of present chronic foot disorders, the Board finds the recently submitted evidence is 'new and material' and the claim must be reopened.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic foot disorder
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 14, 2003
- Citation
- 0304866
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,699 · Granted: 17% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 0304866.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
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: Denied
The Board found that the appellant's chronic thoracolumbar disability and foot disorder were not incurred during his periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) in the Army National Guard. The VA medical opinions concluded that these conditions are more likely related to pre-existing conditions or unrelated to service.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for further development, including rescheduling a VA examination and addressing whether there is factual evidence that renders it undebatable from a medical standpoint that any current foot disorder pre-existed service or was aggravated during service.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and a need for further development, including verification of service periods and obtaining SSA disability benefits information.
- Whole decision: Denied
The veteran's claim for service connection for a chronic foot disorder was denied because he failed to report for a scheduled VA examination without good cause.
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.