The Board has granted service connection for hammertoes and denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative joint disease, status post right shoulder fracture.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's current hammertoes disability originated in active service, as evidenced by his STRs. The VA examiner found that the Veteran’s current hammertoe disability is etiologically related to service and thus granted service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- hammertoes, degenerative joint disease, status post right shoulder fracture
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- November 13, 2019
- Citation
- 19185837
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 19185837.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's bilateral foot disability, including plantar fasciitis, hammertoes, and pes cavus, is being remanded due to a duty-to-assist error. The VA examination did not address the pre-existing pes cavus upon entry into service and did not provide an adequate rationale for the remaining foot disabilities.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral foot condition, including pes planus, hallux rigidus, plantar fasciitis, hammertoes, and arthritis. The Veteran's preexisting pes planus was aggravated by his military service.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral foot hallux valgus, pes planus, hammertoes, and degenerative arthritis, with an effective date of February 19, 2019. The Board also granted an increased (40 percent) rating for residuals, rupture, right biceps tendon with elbow limitation of supination and extension.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a rating of 50 percent for bilateral pes planus and plantar fasciitis since April 22, 2021, but denied earlier effective dates and increased ratings prior to that date.
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