The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral plantar hyperkeratosis, finding that there was no credible evidence to support a link between the condition and his military service.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinions established that the Veteran's current foot problems are less likely than not related to his military service due to the lack of in-service complaints and the presence of diabetes mellitus as a more likely cause for the calluses.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral plantar hyperkeratosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 15, 2025
- Citation
- 25014884
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 878 · Granted: 36% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 25014884.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted a 50 percent rating for bilateral plantar hyperkeratosis from July 31, 2012, and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) for accrued benefits purposes.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a retrospective medical opinion regarding the severity of the Veteran's service-connected bilateral foot disability. The increased rating claims for lumbosacral strain and bilateral plantar hyperkeratosis are also being addressed.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA examination and the need for updated treatment records. The Veteran's skin disability of the feet is being reviewed again to determine if it is related to his military service.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral plantar hyperkeratosis and lumbosacral strain due to outstanding private treatment records from the Veterans Choice program.
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