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 assigned
- None in this 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 1803479.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for left knee strain, right knee strain, right wrist strain, and TBI. The Veteran's PTSD rating was remanded for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal is remanded to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including the failure to obtain relevant treatment records and provide adequate VA examinations.
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