The Veteran's bilateral pes planus with weak foot disability is not entitled to a rating in excess of 30 percent prior to June 21, 2019 and thereafter in excess of 50 percent.,The Veteran's right lower extremity tarsal tunnel syndrome and left lower extremity tarsal tunnel syndrome are each not entitled to an initial rating in excess of 10 percent.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not support the assignment of a higher rating for bilateral pes planus with weak foot disability prior to June 21, 2019 as there is no objective finding of pronounced acquired flatfoot symptomatology.,There is no additional symptomatology that is not already contemplated by Diagnostic Codes 5276 and 8525. Therefore, separate ratings under Diagnostic Code 5277 are not applicable.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral pes planus with weak foot disability, right lower extremity tarsal tunnel syndrome, left lower extremity tarsal tunnel syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 17, 2020
- Citation
- 20073435
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,071 · Granted: 26% (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 20073435.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The veteran's appeal for service connection for both left and right lower extremity tarsal tunnel syndrome was dismissed because the veteran withdrew the appeal.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for right and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathies, as well as for bilateral lower extremity tarsal tunnel syndromes, all related to the Veteran's in-service exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune and tactical herbicide agents used in Vietnam.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected left lower extremity tarsal tunnel syndrome is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II (diabetes) is being remanded as there is insufficient evidence to determine its onset during service.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disorder is being remanded as there is insufficient evidence to determine its onset during service.,The Veteran's claim for residuals of stroke is being remanded due to the inextricability with her other claims, including service connection for a heart disorder and sarcoidosis.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraine headaches is being remanded as there is insufficient evidence to determine its onset during service.,The Veteran's claim for right lower extremity disability, to include as secondary to service-connected LLE tarsal tunnel syndrome, is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and opinion on etiology.,The Veteran's claim for sinusitis is being remanded as there is insufficient evidence to determine its onset during service.,The Veteran's claim for sarcoidosis is being remanded due to the inextricability with her other claims, including service connection for a heart disorder and sarcoidosis.,The Veteran's claim for left hand carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is being remanded as there is insufficient evidence to determine its onset during service.,The Veteran's claim for left shoulder rotator cuff (RTC) tendonitis is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and opinion on etiology.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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