The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left foot disorder, separate and distinct from a pre-existing hypertrophic scar formation, did not clearly and unmistakably pre-exist service. The Board also found no evidence of a direct relationship between the Veteran's in-service injury and his current left foot disorder.
The deciding factor: The VA physician provided an opinion that the Veteran’s left foot arthritis is less likely than not directly related to service, including his documented in-service complaints of left foot pain and/or his claimed injury from falling into a hole during physical training. The examiner noted inconsistencies between the Veteran's lay statements regarding the circumstances of his in-service injury and the medical records.
- Claimed conditions
- left foot disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 8, 2020
- Citation
- 20001602
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.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew the appeal for all service connection and rating issues, and the Board has no jurisdiction to review these matters.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for a VA examination to address service connection and rating issues.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 30 percent rating for the left foot disorder and denied ratings in excess of 30 percent for IBS, chronic bronchitis, and headaches. The Board also granted a 10 percent rating for the left hip disorder and denied higher ratings.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple disorders, including left and right knee disorders, hypertension, left hand, foot, leg, and arm disorders, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), as there was no evidence of in-service incurrence or a nexus to service.
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