The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for abdominal irritation, status post epigastric hernia repair was denied as the evidence did not show any additional disability beyond what is contemplated by the current rating.,The Veteran's claim to reopen his pes planus service connection was also denied because no new and material evidence was submitted.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners found that the Veteran had a scar from his hernia repair, but it did not meet the criteria for an increased rating under Diagnostic Code 7804. The pain associated with the scar is already considered in the current rating assigned for GERD/acid reflux.
- Claimed conditions
- abdominal irritation, status post epigastric hernia repair, pes planus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 9, 2017
- Citation
- 1703943
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 1703943.
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 granted service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis, finding that the Veteran's pre-existing pes planus condition was aggravated by service. The effective date is August 15, 2025.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis with pes planus, finding that her current condition had its onset during active military service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for service connection for pes planus was dismissed because he filed a supplemental claim after the AOJ had already addressed his initial denial, violating the AMA rule against concurrent jurisdiction.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for pes planus with plantar fasciitis, finding that the Veteran's preexisting bilateral pes planus was aggravated during active service and his bilateral plantar fasciitis is related to his service.
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