The Board found that the Veteran's current left foot/toe disability, including arthritis and hallux valgus, did not have its clinical onset in service or due to a presumptive exposure basis. The VA examiner opined that his condition is more likely related to his stroke than to any incident during service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no evidence of frostbite injury in service and concluded the Veteran's current foot disability is more likely due to his post-service stroke, which affected his left side and increased stress on the left foot joint.
- Claimed conditions
- left foot/toe disability, arthritis of the toe, hallux valgus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 19, 2011
- Citation
- 1138922
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 1138922.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hallux valgus, finding no competent and credible evidence linking her current condition to active service.
- Granted
The Veteran's left foot metatarsalgia is granted as secondary to his service-connected left foot Lisfranc fracture and other disabilities. The Veteran's TDIU benefits from December 1, 2023 are denied due to his employment as a government tax collector.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA examination, requiring a new one with a proper evaluation of the Veteran's foot disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the preexistence and aggravation of foot disabilities during service.
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