The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for tinea pedis, left foot; swelling of feet; and a compensable evaluation for hearing loss, right ear. The evidence did not support these claims as there was no current diagnosis of any condition in question, and none were found to be related to service or herbicide exposure.
The deciding factor: The veteran's tinea pedis, left foot, was first diagnosed decades after separation from service and is not a presumptive condition for herbicide exposure. Swelling of the feet is not a disability for VA compensation purposes. Hearing loss, right ear, has been rated as noncompensable since 1992.
- Claimed conditions
- tinea pedis, left foot, swelling of feet, hearing loss, right ear
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 20, 2006
- Citation
- 0607943
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,547 · Granted: 20% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0607943.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU due to her service-connected disabilities, finding that the evidence did not demonstrate she was unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant due to lack of functional impairment. The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine if any service-connected disability results in loss of use of both lower extremities, one lower extremity and one upper extremity, or residuals affecting balance and propulsion.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal of service connection for hearing loss in the right ear has been dismissed due to her withdrawal.
- Granted
The Board has denied service connection for hearing loss in the right ear but granted service connection for tinnitus. The decision is based on the Veteran's lay testimony and medical opinions, with no direct evidence linking the conditions to service.
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.