The Board denied service connection for right and left flat foot (pes planus) as well as tendonitis in the right and left feet, finding no evidence of aggravation or secondary causation by a service-connected condition.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's pes planus was noted on enlistment and there is no clear and unmistakable evidence that it worsened during service. For the secondary claims, there is no current diagnosis of tendonitis in either foot to support a grant of service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- right flat foot (pes planus), left foot, flat foot (pes planus), tendonitis, right foot, tendonitis, left foot
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 15, 2025
- Citation
- A25044023
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Board denied the veteran's appeals for service connection due to untimely filings.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for left hip osteoarthritis and right hip osteoarthritis as secondary to the Veteran's now service-connected knee disabilities, but denied service connection for a variety of other conditions including bilateral ankle, shoulder, foot, mood disorder, tinnitus, hyperlipidemia, and knees.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral foot and ankle conditions to correct a duty to assist error, requiring medical opinions on their relationship to the Veteran's service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for shin splints, tendonitis, headaches, and sleep apnea as there was no evidence of current disabilities related to the appellant's military service.
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