The Veteran was granted an earlier effective date of November 17, 2009, for the award of service connection for bilateral flat feet. The claim for an earlier effective date for lumbosacral strain and degenerative arthritis of the spine was denied.
The deciding factor: The decision was based on the date of receipt of the first claim for service connection for bilateral flat feet, which was November 17, 2009, and the date VA received the Veteran's claim for service connection for his back disability, January 17, 2017.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral flat feet, lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis of the spine (back disability)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 30, 2025
- Citation
- A25048292
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection were dismissed due to untimely filing of the Board Appeal requests.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's passing during its pendency.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development, including obtaining private treatment records and scheduling VA examinations.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral flat feet, finding that the condition increased in severity during active-duty service and was not due to the natural progression of the disease.
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