The Board has reopened the claim of entitlement to service connection for a left foot disorder due to new evidence received after the July 2018 final decision. However, the claim is denied as there is no persuasive evidence that the current condition began during active service or is related to an in-service injury.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's STRs are silent for diagnosis of or treatment for a foot disorder and post-service medical records do not document characteristic manifestations sufficient to identify a chronic disease entity. The earliest medical evidence of foot complaints was in 2002, which is more than 27 years after service.
- Claimed conditions
- left foot disorder, left big toe condition
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 4, 2023
- Citation
- A23027634
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 A23027634.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claims for lumbosacral strain, asthma, melasma and hydradenitis, hypertension, an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as depression, anxiety, and stress), left shoulder disorder, right shoulder disorder, left knee disorder, a left foot disorder, and IBS have been granted. The remaining issues are remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found new and relevant evidence to warrant readjudication of the claims for service connection for bilateral shoulder, hip, knee, ankle, foot, and back disorders. The underlying merits of these claims must be addressed by the AOJ.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a duty to assist error in obtaining missing service treatment records. The AOJ is instructed to attempt to obtain these records and conduct any necessary development, including VA examinations.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, right foot disorder, and left foot disorder due to a lack of evidence showing that these conditions began during active service or were related to in-service injuries.
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