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Denied

The Veteran's right hand fifth digit fracture residuals are rated as noncompensable, and his right foot cold injury residuals are rated at 20 percent.,Service connection for left foot pes planus is denied. Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including anxiety and unspecified trauma disorder) is granted.,The Veteran's left foot pes planus was not increased in severity during service, and the Board finds that his acquired psychiatric disorder is causally related to military service.

The deciding factor: The Veteran’s right hand fifth digit fracture residuals do not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating as they are rated noncompensably disabling.,The Veteran's right foot cold injury residuals present with arthralgia and numbness, meeting the criteria for a 20 percent disability rating under Diagnostic Code 7122.,Bilateral pes planus was noted on enlistment examination; the presumption of soundness did not attach to left foot pes planus. The Veteran's left foot pes planus did not increase in severity during service and is therefore not service-connected.,The acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety and unspecified trauma disorder, were causally related to military service.

Claimed conditions
fracture of the fifth digit of the right hand, right foot cold injury residuals, left foot pes planus, acquired psychiatric disorder
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
None in this decision
Decision date
September 10, 2020
Citation
20059474

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 20059474.

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