The Veteran's back disability is not service-connected, and his right foot plantar fibromatosis is rated at 10% prior to June 1, 2014, and 20% thereafter.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners found no evidence of a chronic in-service injury or disease that could be linked to the Veteran's current back disability. The right foot plantar fibromatosis was not shown as chronic during service, did not manifest within one year of service, and was not noted in service with competent, credible and probative evidence of attributable continuity of symptomatology.
- Claimed conditions
- back disability, plantar fibromatosis of the right foot
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20081091
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for a back disability due to a duty to assist error, specifically regarding VA's failure to provide the Veteran with a VA examination prior to the rating decision.
- Denied
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- Denied
The Veteran was awarded service connection for allergic rhinitis based on the PACT Act, but an earlier effective date prior to August 10, 2022, is not warranted.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a back disability, effective immediately. The Board also granted a 10 percent rating for left knee tendonitis with patellofemoral pain syndrome and degenerative joint disease based on limitation of flexion from October 4, 2024, to the present, and a 50 percent rating for the same condition from February 5, 2025, to the present.
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