The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right foot disability, characterized as degenerative arthritis of the right foot and deformity and partial resection of the middle phalanx of the right 5th toe, finding that it is at least as likely as not related to his active service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's current right foot disabilities are at least as likely as not related to his military service, including a reported in-service helicopter forced landing injury.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative arthritis of the right foot, deformity and partial resection of the middle phalanx of the right 5th toe
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 5, 2021
- Citation
- 21061820
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,350 · 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 21061820.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeal in January 2025, stating that his feet are much better since he had surgeries and do not want to continue the claim.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for right and left foot disabilities due to outstanding private treatment records from Dr. Groner that have not been obtained.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, and other foot conditions, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment since October 20, 2006. The Board has granted a TDIU effective from that date.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's right foot arthritis is related to service-connected bilateral pes planus. The case will be returned for a new addendum opinion.
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