The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral pes planus was not aggravated during service and is not shown to have been aggravated by any service-connected disability. Therefore, service connection for bilateral pes planus cannot be established.
The deciding factor: Service connection requires a showing of aggravation beyond its natural progression in cases where preexisting conditions are noted on entrance into service. In this case, the Veteran's pes planus was noted at entry and there is no evidence that it was aggravated during service or by any service-connected disability.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral pes planus, dysthymic disorder, lumbar strain, left hip strain, right hip strain, left knee strain, right knee strain, corneal scar of the right eye, bilateral hearing loss, hallux valgus deformity of the left foot, hallux valgus deformity of the right foot
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 18, 2018
- Citation
- 1803479
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1803479.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim, specifically needing an addendum opinion from a VA examiner. The Veteran will be asked to provide any missing records and former employers' information.
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