The Veteran's pes planus is not service-connected, as the VA examiners concluded that it was less likely caused by his military service or secondary to his left knee condition.,The Board found in favor of the Veteran on his claim for a back disability, concluding that it is at least equally likely that his back issues are related to his service-connected left hip and left knee conditions.,For his right shoulder disability, the Board determined that there was at least equipoise evidence supporting the Veteran's contention that his fall down stairs caused his injury. The VA examiner concluded that the condition was not secondary to his left knee condition.
The deciding factor: The medical opinions provided by the VA examiners were considered more persuasive than the Veteran's personal assertions regarding the onset and cause of his pes planus.,The Board found that there was a preponderance of evidence supporting the Veteran's claim for secondary service connection to his left hip and knee conditions, leading to a grant of service connection for his back disability.,The Board gave greater weight to the Veteran's testimony regarding how he injured his right shoulder, finding it more credible than the VA examiner's opinion that the condition was not related to his left knee.
- Claimed conditions
- pes planus, back disability, right shoulder disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 29, 2023
- Citation
- 23054409
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 23054409.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's right shoulder disability and migraines/chronic headaches are remanded for additional development due to insufficient opinions on the etiology of her conditions.
- Granted
The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims of service connection for a back disability, endometriosis, thyroid condition, and chronic fatigue syndrome due to new evidence submitted since the last final denial. The claims are now considered on their merits.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete service treatment records and a need for additional VA examination. The Veteran's back disability is being reviewed again with new evidence.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including right shoulder disability, abdominal hernia, GERD, bilateral ankle disabilities, and bilateral foot disabilities. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated during the appellant's period of active duty.
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