The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral pes planus pre-existed military service and did not chronically worsen therein, thus denying service connection.
The deciding factor: The examiner opined that there was no clear evidence of a permanent increase in severity of the Veteran's pes planus during service, and that the natural progression of flat foot often worsens over time due to stress of physical daily activities.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Flat Feet (Pes Planus)
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 14, 2017
- Citation
- 1712216
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 1712216.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted a 30 percent rating for the Veteran's bilateral flat feet, effective from the date of his claim. The Veteran testified that his symptoms more nearly approximate the criteria for this higher rating.
- Granted
The veteran's service-connected right and left knee disabilities have been granted increased ratings, with the right knee now rated at 20 percent. The pes planus has also been granted a compensable rating of 20 percent. However, the surgical scars from the knees continue to be rated as noncompensable.
- Granted
The Board finds that the veteran's bilateral pes planus disability is incurred in service and not due to pre-existing conditions. The presumption of soundness applies, and the veteran is entitled to service connection for his bilateral flat feet.
- Granted
The Board of Veterans' Appeals has granted service connection for PTSD and Mood Disorders, both presumed conditions under the PACT Act.
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