The Veteran's claims for service connection for depression and a higher rating for bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for depression, and the current rating for bilateral pes planus is already at its maximum allowable under applicable criteria.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner's opinion was provided following review of the record and included adequate rationales for the conclusions reached, assigning more probative weight to the March 2016 psychologist’s opinion than the lay statements of record regarding the etiology of the Veteran's depression. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis.
- Claimed conditions
- depression, bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- August 29, 2019
- Citation
- 19166772
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,050 · Granted: 23% (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 19166772.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining in-service psychiatric treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorder.
- Denied
The Veteran's depression was rated at 50 percent prior to July 1, 2016. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating due to occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. For TDIU, the Veteran had multiple service-connected disabilities but his education and work experience were sufficient for sedentary or light labor employment.
- Granted
The Veteran's depression was rated at 50 percent prior to September 27, 2017. From September 27, 2017, the rating for depression increased to 70 percent.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals were dismissed due to the death of the appellant. The issues related to service connection for various conditions and disability ratings.
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