The Board found that the Veteran's right Achilles tendon partial tear with fibrosis is not causally or etiologically related to active service, including his in-service diagnosis of plantar fasciitis, and is not caused or permanently worsened by his service-connected left Achilles tendonitis.
The deciding factor: The March 2012 VA examiner's opinion was inadequate as it confused causation with aggravation.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Achilles tendon partial tear with fibrosis
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 13, 2016
- Citation
- 1623550
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 1623550.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate March 2012 VA opinion addressing the aggravation component of secondary service connection for right Achilles tendon partial tear with fibrosis, to include as due to the service-connected left Achilles tendonitis.
- Denied
The Board finds that the Veteran's current right Achilles tendon partial tear with fibrosis is not causally or etiologically related to active military service, including his in-service diagnosis of plantar fasciitis, and it is not caused or permanently worsened by his service-connected left Achilles tendonitis.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
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.