The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral pes planus and earlier effective date for PTSD have been denied. The Board found that the Veteran's pre-existing bilateral pes planus did not worsen during service, and thus could not be granted on a theory of direct service connection. For PTSD, the Board determined that the earliest effective date was September 28, 2018, when the claim for an increased evaluation was received.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's pre-existing bilateral pes planus did not worsen during service and thus could not be granted on a theory of direct service connection. For PTSD, the Board found that the earliest effective date was September 28, 2018, when the claim for an increased evaluation was received.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral pes planus, posttraumatic stress disorder
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- October 18, 2023
- Citation
- 23056806
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 23056806.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder has been dismissed as the appellant requested withdrawal of the appeal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted service connection for prostate cancer but remanded the claim for PTSD due to insufficient verification of stressor incidents.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found the eligibility determination for PCAFC enrollment to be legally inadequate and remanded for a new medical opinion that adequately addresses the criteria for eligibility as set forth in VA regulations.
- Denied
The Board denied the Appellant's requests for earlier effective dates for his service connection for bilateral pes planus and gynecomastia scar residuals, finding that the earliest possible effective dates are the dates of receipt of the claims.
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