The Board denied service connection for right hallux valgus and cervical spine disability, finding no evidence linking these conditions to the veteran's active duty or any service-connected condition.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the current degenerative changes of the cervical spine were not related to in-service head injuries, and there was no evidence of right foot hallux valgus during service or within a year of discharge. The claim for an earlier effective date was denied as there is no evidence of a prior claim.
- Claimed conditions
- hallux valgus of the right foot, degenerative changes of the cervical spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 26, 2009
- Citation
- 0907142
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,514 · 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 0907142.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and rating issues due to outstanding VA and private treatment records not being obtained prior to adjudication.
- Dismissed
The appeal has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death. The claims for service connection on all listed conditions are not before the Board.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for sleep apnea, right wrist sprain, left wrist disability manifested by pain, left foot arthritis, right foot arthritis and hallux valgus, headaches, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, degenerative changes of the cervical spine, right lateral epicondylitis (claimed as right arm disability), and left upper extremity cervical radiculopathy (claimed as left arm disability and left elbow disability).
- Partly granted
The Board granted an initial rating of 10 percent for hallux valgus of the right and left foot, effective November 30, 2004. The claim for a higher rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy 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.