The VA determined that the appellant's pre-existing bilateral pes planus did not worsen during his military service beyond its natural progression.
The deciding factor: A private podiatrist believed the appellant's 10 months of military service caused an increase in the collapse of both arches and led to the progression of hammertoes, but a VA examiner concluded that the right heel complaints were likely due to the natural progression of pes planus.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Pes Planus
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 19, 2006
- Citation
- 0621220
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 0621220.
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
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Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including PTSD, IBS, cardiac arrhythmia, CFS, chronic headaches, chronic sinusitis, dyspnea, and fibromyalgia. The claim for bilateral pes planus was remanded.
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- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another person due to his service-connected disabilities.
- Partly granted
The appeal was dismissed for the claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, and service connection for migraine headaches was restored. Several claims for service connection were denied.
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