The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for bilateral pes planus was denied, with the Board finding that his symptoms did not warrant a higher disability rating.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no objective evidence of marked deformity or other conditions related to the service-connected bilateral pes planus, and concluded that the Veteran’s current symptoms were more likely due to nonservice-connected DJD changes in the first metatarsophalangeal joints.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral pes planus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- October 8, 2019
- Citation
- 19177528
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.
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- Partly granted
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an adequate VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any right foot disability, including consideration of bilateral pes planus.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) as it was not factually ascertainable that he was unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment prior to April 28, 2016.
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