The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for earlier effective dates for service connection for pes planus and an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss, as there was no evidence of a claim or increase in disability prior to December 2, 2020.
The deciding factor: There is no specific factual evidence of record that the Veteran's hearing loss increased in severity within the one-year period preceding the filing of the December 2020 VA Form 21-526EZ.
- Claimed conditions
- pes planus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 10, 2024
- Citation
- A24065118
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 Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's back, right ring finger, and left foot hallux valgus disabilities but granted an initial 30 percent rating for pes planus from August 17, 2021, a 50 percent rating for pes planus from December 15, 2023, and a separate 10 percent rating for bilateral plantar fasciitis from August 17, 2021.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a left foot disability to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error, specifically regarding an inadequate October 2024 VA examination.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for pes planus, bilateral degenerative changes of the feet, bilateral hammertoe deformity, bilateral foot ulcers, and onychomycosis as there was no evidence to support an increase in severity during active service.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection and increased ratings was dismissed due to untimely filing of the notice of disagreement.
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