The Veteran's service-connected conditions have been rated appropriately, and no new or material evidence has been presented to reopen his claims. The Veteran does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating for bilateral pes planus.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms of gout are less likely related to service due to lack of medical evidence supporting this claim.
- Claimed conditions
- gout, bilateral pes planus, right Achilles tendon repair, bilateral patellar tendonitis, lumbar spine scoliosis with mild degenerative disease and osteophytes at L3 and L4
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 29, 2018
- Citation
- 1819017
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 1819017.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The claims are being remanded to determine the current severity of the Veteran's left and right ankle disabilities, including after his December 2017 surgery. The case will be returned for further review.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's gout claim for additional development, including obtaining an adequate VA examination and ensuring all relevant records are obtained. The TDIU claim is also being remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that the Veteran meets the basic medical eligibility criteria for PCAFC benefits due to his need for personal care services based on symptoms or residuals of neurological or other impairment or injury. However, further clinical evaluation is needed to determine if participation in the program is in the Veteran's best interest.
- Denied
The Board denied the Appellant's requests for earlier effective dates for his service connection for bilateral pes planus and gynecomastia scar residuals, finding that the earliest possible effective dates are the dates of receipt of the claims.
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