The Board found that the preponderance of evidence is against a finding that the veteran has any current bilateral foot and ankle disorders as a result of his active military service.
The deciding factor: There was no competent medical evidence showing any foot or ankle injury or disorder during service or for some 15 years after service, and the in-service statements denying foot trouble are more credible than the veteran's current assertions.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral foot disorders, bilateral ankle disorders
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 6, 2009
- Citation
- 0900415
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,642 · Granted: 19% (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 0900415.
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 has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that side effects from prescribed medications contributed substantially and materially to his accidental motorcycle collision resulting in fatal injuries.
- Remanded (sent back)
New and relevant evidence has been received to warrant readjudication of the claims of service connection for bilateral ankle disorders. The Veteran's claim will be readjudicated in order to address the new evidence of record.
- Denied
The Board denied earlier effective dates for service connection and initial ratings, as well as special monthly compensation.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for cervical spine, bilateral hip, bilateral ankle, gastrointestinal disorder, and hypertension was withdrawn by the appellant. The TDIU rating claim was denied.
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.