The Board has denied service connection for bilateral Achilles tendon disorder, bilateral foot disorders, and bilateral ankle disorders. The claim for depression was withdrawn by the Veteran.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no evidence linking the current disabilities to service, including as due to in-service anthrax vaccinations.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Achilles tendon disorder, Bilateral foot disorders, Bilateral ankle disorders
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 18, 2020
- Citation
- 20041756
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 20041756.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for low back disorder and bilateral ankle disorders, but denied service connection for right ear hearing loss.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral foot disorders, including neuropathy and pes planus, should be remanded due to a need for additional medical examination and treatment records.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the Veteran's service connection claims, including obtaining verification of his periods of Reserve and National Guard duty service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral pes planus and bilateral ankle disorders, finding that the Veteran's pre-existing conditions were aggravated by active duty service.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.