The Board finds that the Veteran's left foot disability, including hallux valgus deformity and laceration of the tibial left foot with hyperkeratotic lesions, ball of foot, clearly and unmistakably existed prior to service and was not permanently aggravated by an inservice event or injury.
The deciding factor: The evidence shows that the Veteran's preexisting left foot condition existed prior to his entry into service and did not undergo a permanent increase in severity during service.
- Claimed conditions
- hallux valgus deformity, laceration of the tibial left foot with hyperkeratotic lesions, ball of foot
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 26, 2017
- Citation
- 1718780
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 1718780.
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 Veteran's hallux valgus deformity with laceration of the tibial left foot with hyperkeratotic lesions, ball of foot, is found to have clearly and unmistakably preexisted service. However, it is not clear and unmistakable that the condition was not aggravated by his active service.
- Denied
The Veteran's request for a rating in excess of 20 percent for his right and left foot disabilities is denied.,An effective date earlier than February 27, 2015, for the ratings assigned to the Veteran's right and left foot disabilities is also denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hallux valgus deformity with laceration of the tibial left foot with hyperkeratotic lesions is being remanded due to a procedural issue related to SSA records.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have not prevented him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation, despite functional impairments.
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