The Veteran's service-connected right Achilles tendonitis does not present an exceptional or unusual disability picture as to warrant the assignment of a higher rating on an extraschedular basis. Prior to December 29, 2011, the manifestations of his service-connected disorders were not sufficiently incapacitating as to prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's right Achilles tendonitis did not significantly interfere with his ability to work due to its impact on his job as a plumber. His low back disorder contributed to functional loss but he was still able to perform some of the required tasks.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Achilles tendonitis, Low back disorder (spondylolysis)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 1, 2017
- Citation
- 1714230
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 1714230.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for increased ratings of his cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, and right Achilles tendonitis. The earliest effective date assigned was April 24, 2020.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for right and left Achilles tendonitis with osteoarthritis as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral pes planus with hallux valgus and calcaneal spurs.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for coronary artery disease, left Achilles tendonitis, right Achilles tendonitis, and lattice and vitreous degeneration as the evidence did not show any injury or incident during a period of active duty or Reserve training that could support these claims.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ankle and bilateral foot disabilities due to inadequate opinions in previous examinations. The AOJ must verify all periods of service, including ACDUTRA/ADT and INACDUTRA/IDT, and obtain an addendum opinion from a medical examiner.
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