The Veteran's appeal for an increase in her rating for a left foot disability, which is rated as metatarsalgia and painful scar associated with metatarsalgia, has been denied. The maximum allowed rating of 10% is the highest available under current criteria.
The deciding factor: The Veteran does not have scars that are unstable or painful, nor do they meet the criteria for a higher rating based on flatfoot (Diagnostic Code 5276).
- Claimed conditions
- left foot metatarsalgia, painful scar associated with metatarsalgia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- October 2, 2019
- Citation
- 19176364
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 Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and denied increased ratings for sleep apnea, left ankle scar, painful left ankle scar, acquired psychiatric disability (major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder), left foot metatarsalgia, and right knee limitation of flexion. The Board granted a 20 percent rating for left foot neuropathy and 20 percent rating for right knee limitation of extension.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions and a compensable rating for tension headaches, while remanding the claims for left foot metatarsalgia and right foot plantar fasciitis.
- Partly granted
The Board granted earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection for right and left foot pes planus, metatarsalgia, and plantar fasciitis, an effective date of April 22, 2020, for the grant of service connection for right and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and a TDIU. However, it denied higher ratings for bilateral cavus and compensable disability ratings for scars.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for lumbosacral strain and allergic rhinitis, assigned a 10 percent rating for allergic rhinitis, and denied service connection for the other conditions.
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