The Veteran's increased evaluations for lumbar strain and bilateral plantar fasciitis were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s range of motion testing was limited to no worse than 780 degrees of flexion, barely within with compensable range. There was no ankylosis or spasm to change the gait or spinal curve. The functional loss due to pain affected both feet when used repeatedly over a period of time.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar strain, DDD of lumbar spine with a scar, bilateral plantar fasciitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- June 12, 2019
- Citation
- 19145461
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 Board granted a separate rating of 10 percent for bilateral plantar fasciitis effective February 1, 2023.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an initial rating of 70 percent for the Veteran's service-connected depressive disorder due to another medical condition with depressive features and generalized anxiety disorder, denied a higher rating for his migraine including migraine variants, and denied ratings for other conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including bilateral plantar fasciitis, chronic pain syndrome, sciatic radicular pain of both legs, traumatic brain injury (TBI), shin splints of both legs, thoracic spondylosis, right shoulder strain, right wrist strain, acne, and allergic rhinitis.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings, as well as higher levels of special monthly compensation.
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