The Veteran's bilateral pes planus disability, including loss of use of a foot, is rated at 40 percent. The Board also granted entitlement to special monthly compensation based on loss of use of both feet.
The deciding factor: The Veteran experiences frequent flare-ups with the right and left foot, difficulty walking, ongoing pain, and from time to time the ankle buckles, which has been documented in VA examinations as related to service-connected disability. The evidence demonstrates that the Veteran does not maintain effective function of the right or left foot other than what would be equally well served by amputation with a prosthesis.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral pes planus, Loss of use of a foot
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- January 24, 2019
- Citation
- 19105403
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.
- Granted
The Board granted earlier effective dates of November 5, 2021, for the grants of service connection and eligibility for DEA benefits.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include alcohol use disorder, unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress, and PTSD was granted. Other claims for various conditions were denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an adequate VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any right foot disability, including consideration of bilateral pes planus.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) as it was not factually ascertainable that he was unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment prior to April 28, 2016.
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