The Board denied service connection for a bilateral leg condition, finding that the appellant's peripheral neuropathy was due to alcohol abuse and not related to his service-connected lumbar stenosis with radiculopathy.
The deciding factor: Service connection cannot be granted as the appellant's peripheral neuropathy is secondary to alcohol abuse, which is not compensable under VA law.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral flatfeet, bilateral leg condition (not including bilateral radiculopathy of the lower extremities)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 5, 2010
- Citation
- 1012812
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 1012812.
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 due to insufficient evidence and a need for further examination.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal regarding his service connection for bilateral flatfeet was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran during the pendency of the appeal.
- Granted
The Veteran's disability rating for bilateral flatfeet and plantar fasciitis was reduced from 30% to 10%, effective November 1, 2024. The claim is granted as the reduction was improper.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral flatfeet, left ankle pain, left hip pain, right hip pain, lower back pain, and right ankle pain to obtain a VA examination.
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