The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hammertoes do not meet the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 30 percent, and his intermittent right lower extremity radiculopathy is not related to his period of service or any incident therein, including service-connected hammertoes.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's condition has not been manifested by bilateral involvement of acquired claw foot with marked contraction of plantar fascia with dropped forefoot, all toes hammertoes, very painful callosities, marked varus deformity, or the actual loss of use of either foot. The intermittent right lower extremity radiculopathy is not related to his period of service or any incident therein.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hammertoes, intermittent right lower extremity radiculopathy (claimed as a right leg condition)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 25, 2009
- Citation
- 0911052
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,454 · Granted: 23% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0911052.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that a remand is necessary due to multiple pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including inadequate VA examinations and Gulf War examination.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hammertoes and chronic mycotic infections of the bilateral feet, as there was no evidence to support a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for a bilateral foot disorder, including bilateral pes planus, Hepatitis C keratoma, and bilateral hammertoes.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for sleep apnea, eye disorder, bilateral hammertoes, and muscle and joint disorders to ensure compliance with prior remand orders.
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