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Whole decision: Denied

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 50 percent for bilateral pes planus was denied, and his TDIU claim was also denied as he did not meet the criteria to be considered unemployable due to service-connected disabilities.

The deciding factor: The Veteran’s combined disability rating met the requirements for consideration of a TDIU, but his employment history showed that he had been able to maintain part-time work despite his service-connected disabilities. The Board found that this suggested he could have maintained full-time employment if he had attempted it.

Claimed conditions
Pes planus (bilateral), Total deafness, left ear, Tinnitus (constant), Degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine associated with pes planus, Degenerative arthritis of the left hip causing limitation of rotation associated with pes planus, Degenerative arthritis of the right hip causing limitation of rotation associated with pes planus
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating
Not verified here — check the original decision
Decision date
December 28, 2020
Citation
20081230

Veterans Law Judge

MICHAEL MARTIN

Decisions by this judge: 2,188 · Granted: 23% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20081230.

What this means for you

A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.

What you can do next

Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).

Related decisions

Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.

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