The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection for bilateral flatfeet and denied increased ratings for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, radiculopathy of both upper extremities, and an earlier effective date for Dependents' Educational Assistance.

The deciding factor: The Veteran's disability picture did not more nearly approximate a higher rating based on the evidence provided during the appeal period. Additionally, there was no factually ascertainable increase in disability within one year prior to the claims being filed.

Claimed conditions

bilateral flatfeet, degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the cervical spine, C2/3, 3/4 with multilevel mild spinal stenosis and multilevel foraminal narrowing, radiculopathy of right upper extremity (claimed as right shoulder nerve damage), radiculopathy of left upper extremity (claimed as left shoulder nerve damage)

How they argued it

Direct service connection

Exposure basis

None

Rating assigned

None in this decision

Decision date

February 6, 2025

Citation

A25011311

Want to see how appeals like this one tend to go? Appeals like mine