The Board found that there is no evidence showing a nexus between the Veteran's in-service foot injuries and his current hammertoes of the left foot, thus denying service connection for this condition.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that it was less likely than not that the present left foot hammertoes were related to the in-service injuries based on the symmetric nature of the symptoms and lack of a clear causative link.
- Claimed conditions
- hammertoes of the left foot
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 1, 2010
- Citation
- 1044944
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 1044944.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal of the May 2024 rating decision regarding service connection for hammertoes of the bilateral feet and varicose veins of the bilateral lower extremities has been dismissed due to a procedural defect in concurrent election.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeals regarding service connection for various foot and knee conditions due to the Veteran's death during the appeal process.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded two issues: service connection for a bilateral foot disability and service connection for hammertoes of the left foot. The Veteran's claims are being returned to VA for further development.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, leading to the grant of TDIU from September 6, 2016.
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