The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral congenital pes planus, an acquired psychiatric disorder (depression and PTSD), and gout, bilateral feet have all been denied. The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral pes planus is a congenital disease not aggravated by service, his acquired psychiatric disorder does not meet the criteria for service connection as it did not begin during service or be related to an in-service injury, event, or disease, and his gout was not shown to have begun during service.,Service connection on secondary basis has also been denied due to lack of a service-connected condition.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's bilateral pes planus is considered a congenital disease that preexisted service. The Board found clear and unmistakable evidence that the condition was not aggravated by service, thus denying service connection.,Regarding his acquired psychiatric disorder, the Board determined there was no in-service injury or event leading to the current diagnosis of depression and PTSD, nor did it find any relationship between the Veteran's current symptoms and an in-service injury. The claim for secondary service connection on pes planus was also denied as there is no service-connected condition.,For his gout, the Board found that while the Veteran complained of foot pain during service, he was not diagnosed with gout until years after separation from service. Therefore, it did not meet the criteria to be considered a service-connected disability.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral congenital pes planus, an acquired psychiatric disorder (depression and PTSD), gout, bilateral feet
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 3, 2022
- Citation
- 22000136
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,828 · Granted: 32% (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 22000136.
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.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for a bilateral foot condition, including congenital pes planus, plantar fasciitis, hallux valgus, and arthritis, as the evidence did not support that these conditions were caused by or aggravated during active military service.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral hallux rigidus and gout, to include as secondary to hypertension, due to inadequate VA examinations.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for gout, bilateral feet, finding that there was no evidence of chronic symptoms during service or within one year after discharge and no evidence linking the condition to his active duty. The claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was remanded for further development.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection on all issues due to his withdrawal of the appeal during a hearing.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.