The Board granted a total disability rating due to individual unemployability effective January 31, 2011, but denied an increased rating for bilateral metatarsalgia.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's combined foot disabilities prevented him from securing and obtaining substantially gainful employment starting on January 31, 2011, but his bilateral metatarsalgia alone did not cause marked interference with employment before that date.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral metatarsalgia, Degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine with IVDS, Plantar fasciitis bilateral with degenerative changes and calcaneal spurring, Right foot hallux valgus, Left foot hallux valgus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- October 30, 2024
- Citation
- 24032363
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,135 · Granted: 33% (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 24032363.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's VR&E benefits were denied as she did not have an employment handicap and was found to be employable with her current skills, experience, and education. The appeal must be denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's right foot hallux valgus was granted service connection effective July 17, 2019. The effective date is set at the date of receipt of his claim for an increased rating for bilateral pes planus, which included a secondary claim for right foot hallux valgus.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the right foot hallux valgus condition should have been granted service connection in the first place, and thus the severance of service connection was improper. The Veteran's statements and medical opinions support a nexus to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's TDIU claim was granted effective August 13, 2020. The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD rendered her unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment since this date.,Due to the grant of an earlier effective date for TDIU, the Veteran is now eligible for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35 starting from August 13, 2020.
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