The Veteran's service connection claim for rheumatoid arthritis has been granted, as the evidence is at least evenly balanced in favor of the Veteran.,Service connection has also been granted for bilateral pes planus on an aggravation basis. The preexisting condition worsened during service.
The deciding factor: The June 2021 VA examination found that rheumatoid arthritis was related to joint pain symptoms since separation from service, and the Board resolved reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.,The December 2015 and 2019 VA examinations concluded that the preexisting bilateral pes planus worsened during service due to continuous foot pain reported by the Veteran.
- Claimed conditions
- rheumatoid arthritis, bilateral pes planus, frostbite residuals of the bilateral feet
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 20, 2023
- Citation
- 23003614
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 23003614.
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 appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple conditions, including an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep apnea, hypertension, and various musculoskeletal and skin disabilities.
- Partly granted
The Board denied increased ratings for hypertension, atherosclerosis, and diabetes mellitus; granted service connection for erectile dysfunction and skin cancer; and restored the 10 percent rating for hypertension.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral pes planus based on aggravation of a preexisting disability, but denied service connection for right and left knee disabilities.
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