The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left foot hammertoes are related to service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
The deciding factor: The evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran’s current left foot hammertoes were caused by an in-service injury. The private examiners' opinions support the Veteran's statements of pain during service, leading to a finding that the disability had its onset in service.
- Claimed conditions
- left foot hammertoes
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 18, 2019
- Citation
- 19130212
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.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the veteran's appeals for service connection for various conditions, including foot and calf pain, hammertoes, hallux valgus, and cervical spine degenerative arthritis.
- Denied
The Board denied higher ratings for the Veteran's right and left foot hallux valgus and right and left foot hammertoes, as the maximum 10 percent ratings were already assigned.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for right and left foot hammertoes to obtain adequate medical opinions addressing all reasonably raised theories of service connection.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 30 percent rating for bilateral pes planus and denied higher ratings for left and right foot hammertoes, as well as compensable ratings for right and left foot hallux valgus.
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