The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral foot disorder did not manifest until decades after his active period of service and is against a finding that it is otherwise related to his active period of service.
The deciding factor: There was no evidence of a bilateral foot condition in the Veteran's STRs or subsequent VA treatment records, and the examiner opined that the current diagnosed conditions were less likely caused by his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral foot disorder (other than bilateral pes planus), hallux valgus, toenail unguim, degenerative joint disease (DJD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 11, 2018
- Citation
- 1802498
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 1802498.
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.
- Partly granted
The Veteran was granted an initial disability rating of 40 percent for lumbosacral strain, DJD, from December 17, 1997 to June 3, 2022, and the effective date for service connection for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy was also set at December 17, 1997. However, a higher rating or TDIU was denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a left foot condition to satisfy a statutory duty related to the Veteran's service-connected knee conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the case to obtain a more thorough medical opinion addressing whether the Veteran's left foot/toe disorders are related to her service or secondary to her service-connected left knee disability.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed because the Veteran did not timely file a Board Appeal request and no good cause was shown for the late filing.
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