The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluation of his left foot condition, service connection for right foot pes planus, and service connection for knee disabilities and low back DDD as secondary to his service-connected left foot disorder. The evidence did not establish chronicity or a nexus between these conditions and service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the veteran's right foot pes planus was not incurred in or aggravated by service due to lack of documentation during service, and no continuity of symptomatology after discharge. Knee disabilities were also not shown to be related to service as there was no chronicity demonstrated. Low back DDD was not linked to service as it did not manifest within one year of separation and the examiner opined that it was part of normal aging process.
- Claimed conditions
- Left foot tender plantar calluses, pes planus, plantar fasciitis and metatarsalgia, Right foot pes planus, Knee disabilities (including arthritis), Low back degenerative disc disease (DDD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 6, 2003
- Citation
- 0319157
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 0319157.
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 increased ratings for the Veteran's back, right ring finger, and left foot hallux valgus disabilities but granted an initial 30 percent rating for pes planus from August 17, 2021, a 50 percent rating for pes planus from December 15, 2023, and a separate 10 percent rating for bilateral plantar fasciitis from August 17, 2021.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a left foot disability to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error, specifically regarding an inadequate October 2024 VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for pes planus, a bilateral great toe condition, hemorrhoids, and a low back condition to provide the Veteran with VA examinations.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for pes planus, bilateral degenerative changes of the feet, bilateral hammertoe deformity, bilateral foot ulcers, and onychomycosis as there was no evidence to support an increase in severity during active service.
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