Service connection granted for bilateral pes planus.,Service connection denied for bilateral knee disability, dizziness, and evaluation in excess of 50 percent for tension headaches. Effective date for service connection for tension headaches is denied prior to November 16, 2015.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's pes planus was noted at entrance but increased in severity during service, meeting the criteria for aggravation of a pre-existing condition.,Service treatment records showed no indication of chronic knee disability. The VA examiner opined that bilateral knee conditions were less likely related to service and not caused by or aggravated by the Veteran’s service-connected lumbar spine disability.,The Veteran's dizziness was found to be associated with his PTSD, making it a symptom rather than a separate disability for which service connection can be granted.,The Veteran is currently assigned the maximum schedular evaluation (50%) for tension headaches. No higher rating is warranted under Diagnostic Code 8100.,There are no records of an earlier claim or submission prior to April 2016, making any effective date prior to November 15, 2015, not applicable.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Pes Planus, Bilateral Knee Disability, Dizziness, Tension Headaches
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- January 16, 2019
- Citation
- 19104000
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,614 · Granted: 35% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19104000.
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 Veteran's PTSD rating was reduced from 70 percent to 50 percent, effective February 20, 2025. The Board finds the reduction improper and restores the 70 percent disability rating for PTSD.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and bilateral knee disability must be remanded due to duty-to-assist errors. The Veteran's reported stressors need to be verified, and a VA examination is required to address the etiology of his bilateral knee condition.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted SMC at the rate of 50% for his service-connected conditions from April 20, 2020 to June 7, 2021.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection and earlier effective dates for tension headaches and lower back condition. The remaining issues of service connection for eye, neck, persistent cough, TBI residuals, and bilateral leg conditions are REMANDED.
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