The Veteran's right and left foot disabilities are not service connected as they existed prior to service. The recurrent sinus disability and psychiatric disability were not shown during active service.
The deciding factor: Service connection cannot be granted for preexisting conditions unless there is evidence of aggravation during service, which the Board found lacking in this case.
- Claimed conditions
- Right foot pes planus, Left foot pes planus, Recurrent sinus disability, Psychiatric disability (depression, anxiety, PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 9, 2023
- Citation
- 23014268
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 23014268.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims for right knee strain, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity (radiculopathy), and left foot pes planus due to inadequate medical opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran's service treatment records do not indicate a complaint or diagnosis of these conditions during service. A VA examination is needed to determine if there is a relationship between the current diagnoses and service.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment after his last date of employment on March 30, 2018. The Board has granted a TDIU effective from March 31, 2018.
- Denied
The Veteran's right foot pes planus with plantar fasciitis is rated at 10 percent prior to September 8, 2020 and at 20 percent thereafter. The Board found the evidence did not support a higher rating for any period.
- Denied
The Veteran's right foot pes planus with chronic pain is rated at 10 percent, and the Board has denied an increased rating as his symptoms do not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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