The Veteran's claim for a separate award of service connection for anxiety disorder is dismissed as the symptoms are considered part of his already service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder. The issues of increased rating for bilateral plantar fasciitis and service connection for tenosynovitis (left hand index finger pain) have been remanded due to inadequate examination reports.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's anxiety disorder is considered part of his service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD with alcohol use. The previous VA examinations did not fully satisfy the requirements set forth in Correia and 38 C.F.R. § 4.59 regarding range of motion testing and functional loss during flare-ups.
- Claimed conditions
- Anxiety Disorder, Bilateral Plantar Fasciitis with Left Foot Posterior Calcaneal Spur, Tenosynovitis, left hand index finger pain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 8, 2022
- Citation
- 22033544
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 22033544.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's initial ratings for anxiety disorder and TBI were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
- Denied
The Board denied eligibility to attorney fees based on past-due benefits awarded in a March 2024 rating decision because the March 2024 rating decision was an initial decision granting service connection for anxiety disorder.
- Granted
The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted, and service connection for IBS as secondary to anxiety disorder is granted. Service connection for non-Hodgkin lymphoma is denied due to lack of presumptive basis. Service connection for CHF with bradycardia and pacemaker as secondary to hypertension is granted.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected major depression and anxiety disorder are considered part of his service-connected peripheral neuropathy, which already qualifies him for SMC(l). Therefore, he is not eligible for a higher rate of SMC.
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