The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral ear infections, bilateral flat feet, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, left hip disorder, right hip disorder, low back disorder, and arthritis of the lower extremities were denied as secondary to his pre-existing pes planus. The Board found that there was no evidence of aggravation during service or post-service, and thus service connection could not be established on a secondary basis.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's pes planus was noted at entry into active service and did not worsen during service. There is no clear and unmistakable evidence to rebut the presumption of soundness for this condition. The VA examiner opined that the Veteran's current disorders were not aggravated by service beyond its natural progression.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Ear Infections (Otitis), Bilateral Flat Feet (Pes Planus), Left Knee Disorder, Right Knee Disorder, Left Hip Disorder, Right Hip Disorder, Low Back Disorder, Arthritis of the Lower Extremities
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 12, 2014
- Citation
- 1410215
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 1410215.
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.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disorder is related to his military service and grants entitlement to service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for a right knee disorder and an initial compensable rating for TBI, as new evidence was received. The effective date for service connection for TBI is being remanded.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disorder is related to his service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for right and left hip disorders due to a pre-decisional error in obtaining an adequate nexus opinion prior to the June 2021 rating decision.
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