The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine with IVDS and bilateral foot conditions, prevented him from securing and maintaining gainful employment from August 31, 2010, to January 30, 2011.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected disabilities caused significant functional limitations that precluded his ability to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine with IVDS, Plantar fasciitis of the right foot with degenerative changes and calcaneal spurring, Bilateral metatarsalgia, Right foot hallux valgus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 17, 2025
- Citation
- 25014024
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 25014024.
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.
- 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 right foot hallux valgus has been granted an initial 10 percent disability rating, which is the maximum available under Diagnostic Code 5280. The condition was found to be severe enough to approximate amputation of the great toe.
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