The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral pes planus, hammer toes, hallux valgus, acquired pes cavus, and plantar fasciitis as it was not incurred or aggravated during active service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that it was less than 50 percent likely that the claimed condition was incurred in or caused by the claimed in-service injury, event, or illness due to the lack of any foot condition diagnosis during service and inconsistent with normal findings at separation.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral pes planus, hammer toes, hallux valgus, acquired pes cavus, plantar fasciitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 11, 2019
- Citation
- 19128419
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 Board remands the claim for a medical opinion on whether plantar fasciitis was aggravated by active duty training.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple conditions, including an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep apnea, hypertension, and various musculoskeletal and skin disabilities.
- Granted
The Board granted a separate rating of 10 percent for bilateral plantar fasciitis effective February 1, 2023.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.