The Veteran's service-connected surgical scars of the left and right great toes have been rated as non-compensable, and a rating in excess of 10 percent for painful scars has also been denied.,A rating in excess of 10 percent for the service-connected right hallux valgus post-operative bunionectomy and delayed union is not warranted based on current evidence.,The Veteran's service-connected bilateral plantar fasciitis has a maximum assigned rating of 50 percent, which is the highest possible under Diagnostic Code 5276. The Veteran does not meet criteria for higher ratings as his symptoms do not warrant such an evaluation.,No effective date prior to September 17, 2017 was granted for the increased evaluation of 50 percent for bilateral plantar fasciitis.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected surgical scars are rated as non-compensable and a rating in excess of 10 percent is not warranted due to the nature and extent of his scars.,The Veteran’s right hallux valgus post-operative bunionectomy does not meet criteria for higher ratings under Diagnostic Code 5280, given that he has already received the maximum schedular rating for this condition.,The Veteran's bilateral plantar fasciitis is rated at its highest possible level of 50 percent and no additional functional impairment or disability exists to warrant a higher evaluation. The Veteran’s symptoms do not meet criteria for more severe conditions such as pronounced flatfoot.,No effective date prior to September 17, 2017 was granted because the evidence does not show an increase in severity of the bilateral plantar fasciitis within one year before that date.
- Claimed conditions
- {"condition_name":"Surgical scars of left and right great toes","status":"Compensable rating denied"}, {"condition_name":"Painful surgical scars of left and right great toes","status":"Rating in excess of 10 percent denied"}, {"condition_name":"Right hallux valgus post-operative bunionectomy and delayed union","status":"Rating in excess of 10 percent denied"}, {"condition_name":"Bilateral plantar fasciitis","status":"Rating in excess of 50 percent denied"}
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 29, 2019
- Citation
- 19181568
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
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