The Board denied service connection for pes planus of both feet, finding that the Veteran's pes planus preexisted active service and was not aggravated by it.
The deciding factor: The July 2020 VA examiner concluded there was no evidence of an acute event in-service that indicates aggravation, as the Veteran only mentioned his foot condition as a 'follow up'.
- Claimed conditions
- pes planus of the left foot, pes planus of the right foot
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 9, 2023
- Citation
- 23001201
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbae, a bilateral hearing loss disability, and pes planus of both feet. The lumbar spine claim was remanded.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 30 percent rating for left foot traumatic arthritis prior to June 27, 2023, and denied an increased rating in excess of 30 percent. The claim for TDIU was also denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for pes planus of the left foot, as there was no evidence of permanent worsening during service. The claims for a top of the foot disability and a left hip disability were remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remanded the Veteran's claim for entitlement to TDIU because the AOJ failed to consider whether the Veteran's cervical spine spondylosis and bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy constitute one disability under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(a), which could meet the schedular threshold for TDIU eligibility. The Board found good cause for the Veteran's failure to appear for a VA examination based on his credible account of being told by a VA representative that the examination was unnecessary.
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