The Veteran's bilateral foot disability, characterized by marked contraction of plantar fascia with dropped forefoot, hammer toes, very painful callosities, and marked varus deformity, more nearly approximates the criteria for a 50 percent disability rating under Diagnostic Code 5278.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's bilateral foot disability is characterized by significant functional loss due to pain, weakness, fatigability, and incoordination, which aligns with the symptoms contemplated by Diagnostic Code 5278 (pes cavus).
- Claimed conditions
- hammertoe deformity, claw foot (pes cavus)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- January 11, 2018
- Citation
- 1802510
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 1802510.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for a bilateral foot injury due to insufficient evidence in the VA examination opinions. The Veteran's current foot conditions are being evaluated again with consideration of his reported in-service duties and symptoms.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and a new examination to assess the severity of his service-connected left great toe disability.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude her from securing and following substantially gainful employment.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's claimed bilateral foot conditions were not incurred in or aggravated by active service and denied his claims.
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