The Board has granted service connection for left and right tarsal tunnel syndrome, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. Service connection is also granted for a back disorder, though the Veteran's appeal of this issue was withdrawn during his July 2011 Board hearing.
The deciding factor: The Veteran reported symptoms of foot pain in service that were diagnosed as tarsal tunnel syndrome and continued after discharge. The VA contract physician noted these symptoms but did not diagnose any chronic back disorder, though the Veteran's attending podiatrist stated that weight shifting from his foot disorders was causing his back discomfort.
- Claimed conditions
- left tarsal tunnel syndrome, right tarsal tunnel syndrome, bilateral hearing loss, back disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 7, 2011
- Citation
- 1132965
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 1132965.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing proper notice regarding secondary service connection.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
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