The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim of service connection for a bilateral pes planus disability (claimed as flat foot) is denied because there is no evidence showing an in-service event, disease or injury that would indicate a link between the Veteran’s medical condition and his active service. The VA examiner found that the current bilateral pes planus disability is less likely than not proximately due to or the result of his service-connected left knee degenerative arthritis.
The deciding factor: The March 2019 VA examiner's opinion was logical and based on consideration of the Veteran’s claims file, reported history, service treatment records, and post-service history, as well as relevant medical literature.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Pes Planus
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 30, 2019
- Citation
- A19000741
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 A19000741.
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's appeals for an initial compensable rating for athletes' foot and a greater than 30 percent rating for bilateral pes planus have been dismissed due to untimely VA Form 10182 submissions.,The Veteran's claim of service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome has been remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection for traumatic brain injury is granted, and he is awarded a higher level of SMC based on the need for aid and attendance due to his service-connected PTSD and additional disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical evidence in the file on which to decide these claims. The appellant's VA treatment records contain diagnoses of GAD and OSA, and he reported symptoms related to his disabilities during service. A new examination and opinion are required to determine if the acquired psychiatric disorder is associated with service, as well as for OSA and bilateral pes planus and plantar fasciitis.
- Granted
The Board has granted a higher initial rating of 100 percent for PTSD effective April 3, 2024, and assigned an earlier effective date of August 29, 2024, for allergic rhinitis. The Veteran's claim for DEA benefits and a higher initial rating for bilateral pes planus is denied.
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