The Board denied service connection for bilateral pes planus, finding that the Veteran's preexisting condition did not worsen during service. The Board also denied service connection for hepatitis C, concluding that there was no evidence linking it to in-service events or conditions.,The case regarding left knee disability is remanded.
The deciding factor: There was no clear and unmistakable evidence of permanent aggravation of the Veteran's preexisting bilateral pes planus during service. The Board found that any worsening was due to normal progression of the condition, not in-service injury or disease.,The VA medical opinion concluded that hepatitis C is not related to in-service air-gun inoculations and noted several post-service exposures to blood products.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Pes Planus, Hepatitis C
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 6, 2021
- Citation
- 21040768
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 21040768.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied a compensable initial rating for Hepatitis C, finding that the Veteran's condition was asymptomatic and did not meet the criteria for any higher rating.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's Hepatitis C with cirrhosis is related to service, and therefore grants service connection for these conditions.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for an initial compensable rating for athletes' foot and a greater than 30 percent rating for bilateral pes planus have been dismissed due to untimely VA Form 10182 submissions.,The Veteran's claim of service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome has been remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection for traumatic brain injury is granted, and he is awarded a higher level of SMC based on the need for aid and attendance due to his service-connected PTSD and additional disabilities.
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