The Board dismissed the appeals for a rating in excess of 10 percent for metatarsalgia of the right foot, an earlier effective date for service connection, and nonservice-connected pension benefits due to the Veteran's death.
The deciding factor: The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran’s death.
- Claimed conditions
- metatarsalgia of the right foot
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- October 27, 2020
- Citation
- 20069276
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,810 · 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 20069276.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected bilateral pes planus, metatarsalgia of both feet, plantar fasciitis of both feet, and neuropathy of both feet have been granted effective July 14, 2014. The Veteran also received a separate rating for hammertoes of the right foot (10%) and left foot (10%), as well as arthritis of the first MTP joint of the right and left foot (10%).
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's preexisting right foot disorder did not worsen during service, and thus cannot be granted service connection for metatarsalgia of the right foot.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for further development regarding his right foot disability, specifically addressing whether he has metatarsalgia and hammertoes of the right foot that are related to his service-connected heloma durum. The case will be readjudicated based on this additional information.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have been granted increased ratings, with some conditions receiving separate ratings for different parts of their body.,Several conditions received specific and higher ratings based on more severe manifestations.
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