The Board has granted service connection for bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis, finding that the preexisting condition was aggravated by service.,Service connection for chronic lumbar strain and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine (lumbar spine arthritis) is also granted based on continuity of symptoms since service separation.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's preexisting bilateral pes planus worsened during service due to prolonged standing, resulting in significant pain. The evidence showed current diagnoses and a history of worsening symptoms.,Service connection for lumbar spine arthritis is granted based on continuity of symptomatology since service separation.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Pes Planus with Plantar Fasciitis, Chronic Lumbar Strain and Degenerative Arthritis of the Lumbar Spine (lumbar spine arthritis)
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 3, 2024
- Citation
- 24000160
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,200 · Granted: 43% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 24000160.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for erectile dysfunction and denied service connection for left foot tendonitis. The Veteran's gastroesophageal reflux disease and bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis were rated in excess of 10 percent and 50 percent, respectively.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for irritable bowel syndrome and bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis based on the probative evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's active service.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, as the evidence did not support a higher evaluation or service connection.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his persistent depressive disorder with generalized anxiety disorder and alcohol use disorder, as well as his lumbar spine disability and bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis, render him unemployable. The Board has resolved all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran, granting TDIU.
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