The Board denied service connection for the left foot condition and dismissed the appeal as to TDIU prior to August 7, 2017 due to lack of evidence showing the Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment.
The deciding factor: The Veteran had multiple non-service-connected disabilities (back and knee conditions) that prevented him from securing and maintaining employment, which outweighed his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- left foot hallux valgus (bunion), hallux rigidus, left foot, hammer toes (second and third), left foot, onychomycosis, left foot
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 25, 2022
- Citation
- 22059863
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 22059863.
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: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for hallux rigidus in both feet, as they were not properly addressed due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, cervical stenosis of the spine, acid reflux, erectile dysfunction, and chronic hemorrhoids. The remaining claims for degenerative joint disease in various parts of the body were remanded for further development.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the claims for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), hallux rigidus of the right foot, and hallux rigidus of the left foot due to lack of new and relevant evidence.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for hallux rigidus in both feet, finding no evidence linking the condition to service.
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