The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral pes planus is denied as there is no competent, credible and probative evidence of current bilateral pes planus.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of frostbite of the bilateral knees (claimed as knee disability) is denied as there is no competent, probative medical evidence of any residuals of frostbite or any knee disability.,The Veteran's request to reopen a previously disallowed claim for service connection for heart disorder (previously characterized as rheumatic heart disease and claimed as a heart murmur) has not been met with new and material evidence. The January 1960 denial remains final.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD is denied as the symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 9411.,The Veteran's request for an effective date earlier than December 17, 2008 for service connection for PTSD lacks legal merit.
The deciding factor: There is no competent, credible and probative evidence of current bilateral pes planus. The claim must be denied as there is insufficient evidence to support the Veteran's contention.,The residuals of frostbite of the bilateral knees are not supported by medical evidence. There is no competent, probative medical evidence of any residuals of frostbite or knee disability.,No new and material evidence has been received since the January 1960 denial to reopen a previously denied claim for service connection for heart disorder (previously characterized as rheumatic heart disease and claimed as a heart murmur).,The Veteran's PTSD symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 9411. The current disability picture does not warrant an increased rating.,There is no legal basis to grant an effective date earlier than December 17, 2008 for service connection of PTSD as the Veteran did not file a claim prior to that date.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Pes Planus, Residuals of Frostbite of Bilateral Knees (claimed as bilateral knee disability), Heart Disorder (previously characterized as Rheumatic Heart Disease, and initially claimed as a heart murmur)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 15, 2013
- Citation
- 1315911
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 1315911.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for an initial compensable rating for athletes' foot and a greater than 30 percent rating for bilateral pes planus have been dismissed due to untimely VA Form 10182 submissions.,The Veteran's claim of service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome has been remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection for traumatic brain injury is granted, and he is awarded a higher level of SMC based on the need for aid and attendance due to his service-connected PTSD and additional disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical evidence in the file on which to decide these claims. The appellant's VA treatment records contain diagnoses of GAD and OSA, and he reported symptoms related to his disabilities during service. A new examination and opinion are required to determine if the acquired psychiatric disorder is associated with service, as well as for OSA and bilateral pes planus and plantar fasciitis.
- Granted
The Board has granted a higher initial rating of 100 percent for PTSD effective April 3, 2024, and assigned an earlier effective date of August 29, 2024, for allergic rhinitis. The Veteran's claim for DEA benefits and a higher initial rating for bilateral pes planus is denied.
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