The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 40 percent for DJD of the lumbar spine is dismissed. The Board has reopened his previously denied claim of service connection for pes planus and granted it, finding that the pre-existing condition worsened during military service.
The deciding factor: The November 2011 VA examiner found that the Veteran's pes planus was aggravated beyond its natural progression by his military service due to increased marching and wearing boots without proper arch supports.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the lumbar spine, Pes Planus
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- August 10, 2015
- Citation
- 1534017
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 1534017.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral pes planus was denied as the evidence did not warrant a higher rating.
- Granted
The Veteran's pes planus is rated at 30 percent, the highest rating available for unilateral pes planus.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence, including missing service treatment records and personnel records. The Veteran's periods of active duty for training (ADT) or inactive duty for training (IDT) need to be verified, and additional medical opinions are required based on these records.
- Denied
The Veteran's pes planus, left knee lateral meniscus tear, right knee chondromalacia, and left knee chondromalacia were all denied increased ratings. The Veteran was already in receipt of the maximum schedular rating for his left knee lateral meniscus tear.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.