The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for pes planus, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and right ingrown toenail with hallux valgus as new and material evidence was not received to reopen these claims. The claim for hypertension was remanded for further development.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the newly submitted evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims, and therefore, it was not sufficient to reopen them. For hypertension, an exception under the PACT Act required an addendum opinion on its etiology.
- Claimed conditions
- pes planus, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), right ingrown toenail with hallux valgus
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 30, 2024
- Citation
- 24032386
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.
- Partly granted
The Veteran was granted a 70 percent initial disability rating for PTSD effective December 2, 2021, but the claim for an increased rating in excess of 70 percent was denied. The appeal also included claims for service connection and ratings for various conditions, some of which were granted while others were remanded.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 17, 2022, for the grant of service connection for PTSD.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for headaches and increased ratings for left shoulder rotator cuff tear, right shoulder rotator cuff tear, hypertension, and left and right leg restless leg syndrome. The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeal for an increased rating of his service-connected PTSD during a Board hearing, and the appeal is therefore dismissed.
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