The Board found that the veteran's bilateral pes planus, claimed as fallen arches, was not incurred in or aggravated by service and denied the claim. The Board also found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not have its onset during service and could not be presumed to have been incurred due to exposure to noise. Service connection for these conditions was therefore denied.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of evidence showed no in-service injury or disease related to pes planus, and there was no clear and unmistakable evidence that the veteran's pes planus worsened during service. For hearing loss, there was no evidence showing noise exposure during service, and post-service medical records did not attribute the condition to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Pes Planus (Fallen Arches), Bilateral Hearing Loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 30, 2003
- Citation
- 0329743
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 0329743.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for asbestosis, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), rhinitis, sinusitis, and asthma. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was also denied a compensable rating.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD, entitlement to TDIU, and SMC based on housebound status.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various disabilities and denied higher ratings for several service-connected conditions.
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