The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability and bilateral flat feet (pes planus), finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not related to his active service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner noted a current diagnosis of degenerative arthritis of the spine, established a current disability, and found a causal relationship between the current condition and in-service back pain. The private clinician provided a cogent rationale supporting the Veteran's claim for bilateral flat feet.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine disability (claimed as musculoskeletal mid/low back), bilateral flat feet (pes planus)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 22, 2024
- Citation
- 24017112
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 24017112.
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 claims for service connection and increased ratings have been granted. The initial rating of 10 percent, but not higher, has been assigned for pulmonary sarcoidosis. Service connection has also been established for migraine headaches, degenerative arthritis in the left knee, right knee disorder (osteoarthritis), right ankle sprain, right shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis, bilateral flat feet, and various foot conditions.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection on multiple conditions has been dismissed due to their death.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for bilateral flat feet, left knee arthritis, lower back pain, and right knee arthritis. The appeal regarding whether new and relevant evidence was submitted to readjudicate the claim for sleep apnea is also dismissed.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's bilateral flat feet (pes planus) were aggravated during service, and the Board granted service connection for this condition.,The Veteran reported experiencing tinnitus during active military service, which began in approximately 2021. The VA examiner concluded that it is less likely than not due to his military noise exposure.
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