The Board denied service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left upper extremities, ankle instability, bilateral pes planus/flat feet, left foot hammertoes, right foot hammertoes, left foot hallux valgus, right foot hallux valgus, right hip pain, and left hip pain as there was no evidence that these conditions were related to the Veteran's active-duty service.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not persuasively establish a link between the claimed conditions and the Veteran's active-duty service, with no current diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy or ankle instability/limited motion, and the lack of in-service complaints for the other conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity, Peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity, Ankle instability, limited motion, Bilateral pes planus/flat feet, Left foot hammertoes, Right foot hammertoes, Left foot hallux valgus, also claimed as bunions, Right foot hallux valgus, also claimed as bunions, Right hip pain, Left hip pain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 24, 2025
- Citation
- A25016353
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,077 · Granted: 25% (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 A25016353.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for an initial 70 percent rating for service-connected peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity is granted. The Board also remanded the issue of entitlement to SMC based on a need for aid and attendance.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee pain and right hip pain due to insufficient medical evidence on file regarding their etiology. The AOJ is required to obtain an adequate opinion from a qualified medical examiner.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities and remanded the issue of esophageal cancer.
- Granted
The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity, spinal disability, and hypertension with acute renal failure are all granted. The rating for spinal disability is restored to 20 percent effective January 6, 2020. An increased rating for hypertension with acute renal failure is denied.
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