The Board denied service connection for a thoracolumbosacral spine condition and a bilateral hip and leg condition (claimed as bilateral knee condition associated with bilateral pes planus) due to lack of evidence supporting the Veteran's claims. The Board also denied an increased rating for his service-connected bilateral pes planus.,Service connection was not granted because there is no medical evidence linking the Veteran’s spine or joint conditions to his active service, and the preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are secondary to his service-connected pes planus.
The deciding factor: The Board found insufficient evidence to establish service connection for the Veteran's claimed spinal and joint conditions, as well as an increased rating for his pes planus.
- Claimed conditions
- {"condition_name":"Thoracolumbosacral spine condition","claimed_condition_names":["thoracolumbosacral spine condition","spine condition"]}, {"condition_name":"Bilateral hip and leg condition (claimed as bilateral knee condition associated with bilateral pes planus)","claimed_condition_names":["bilateral hip and leg condition","bilateral knee condition","knee condition"]}
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 20, 2020
- Citation
- 20067858
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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