The Veteran's current bilateral foot disabilities, including squamous cell carcinoma and amputation of the 4th and 5th toes of the right foot, are not related to his service. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated during his period of active duty.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran's current bilateral foot disabilities are less likely than not caused by wearing ill-fitting boots while in service, as such problems would take decades to develop from wearing ill-fitting shoes. The Veteran's history of inconsistent reporting and prior statements regarding his medical history were also considered.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hallux valgus, squamous cell carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 2, 2016
- Citation
- 1603530
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 1603530.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma is granted as secondary to his service-connected eczema and psoriasis. The initial compensable evaluation for toenail psoriasis remains denied.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and actinic keratosis as the appeal is considered duplicative of a previous decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the VA examinations are inadequate for rating purposes and thus remands the case to obtain a new examination. The issues include determining whether bilateral hallux valgus and/or acquired pes cavus are secondary to sesamoiditis, whether there is a neurological disability of the right great toe, and whether there was a period of convalescence following the July 2022 sesamoidectomy.
- Partly granted
The Board has determined that the severance of service connection for neoplasm hard and soft tissue of the mouth was improper, as there is conflicting medical evidence regarding the cause of the condition. The Veteran's conditions are related to his active duty service.
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