The Board granted service connection for a bilateral foot disability, finding that new and relevant evidence was submitted and that the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his service in Vietnam.
The deciding factor: The private medical opinions provided support for the conclusion that the Veteran's current foot disabilities were at least as likely as not caused by his service, particularly due to the wet conditions he experienced during his time in Vietnam.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral flat feet, plantar fasciitis with degenerative arthritis, hallux valgus
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- May 13, 2025
- Citation
- A25042655
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 878 · Granted: 46% (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 A25042655.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities require regular aid and attendance, resulting in the grant of special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance. The issue of entitlement to special monthly compensation at the housebound rate is moot.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hallux valgus, finding no competent and credible evidence linking her current condition to active service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the AOJ committed pre-decisional duty to assist errors by not assisting the Veteran to identify and obtain relevant treatment records regarding his bilateral flat feet and for relying on an inadequate addendum opinion. The case is therefore REMANDED for these actions.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to their death during the pendency of the appeal.
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