The Veteran's claims for service connection were granted effective April 27, 2018.,An earlier effective date was denied for the lumbosacral strain claim.
The deciding factor: No new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen the lumbosacral strain claim within one year of its denial in June 2012.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral pes planus (flat foot), left and right knee osteoarthritis, avulsion fracture of the left fifth finger
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 1, 2019
- Citation
- 19175721
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,456 · 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 19175721.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to July 30, 2018, for service connection of bilateral pes planus (flat foot) was denied as the AOJ did not receive a formal or informal claim before that date.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for asthma, joint disease (rheumatism), and bilateral pes planus as there was no evidence of a current disability during the appeal period.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for right foot metatarsalgia, bilateral plantar fasciitis, and bilateral pes planus (flat foot) due to incomplete medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Granted
The veteran's service-connected disabilities are severe enough to prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment, so he is granted total disability due to individual unemployability.
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.