The Veteran's bilateral pes planus with degenerative arthritis and hammer toes of the left and right feet were evaluated, but her claims for increased ratings were denied. The Veteran was not granted any higher disability ratings.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a 50 percent rating for bilateral pes planus with degenerative arthritis or for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for hammer toes of the left and right feet.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral pes planus with degenerative arthritis, hammer toes of the left foot, hammer toes of the right foot
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- March 15, 2019
- Citation
- 19118920
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,948 · Granted: 29% (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 19118920.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection for tinnitus is granted. The Veteran's hammer toes of the left foot and right foot are not rated higher than the current rating, and his scars of both feet do not warrant a compensable disability rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of a VA medical opinion on direct service connection for the Veteran's bilateral foot condition. A new VA examination is needed to determine if the condition manifested during service or is otherwise related to active service.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right and left hallux valgus, as well as the denial of a rating in excess of 50 percent for bilateral pes planus with degenerative arthritis, were decided. The appeal was also granted for service connection for right leg pain, left leg pain, right ankle condition (also claimed as Achilles tendon), and left ankle condition (also claimed as Achilles tendon).
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's tarsal tunnel syndrome, pes planus with degenerative arthritis, and hallux valgus, as well as service connection for various disorders.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.