The Board denied earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection for a bilateral ankle and foot disability, finding that the evidence did not warrant reconsideration under 38 C.F.R. § 3.156(c) and that an earlier effective date was otherwise not warranted.
The deciding factor: The additional service records were not relevant as they did not address a factual issue that was dispositive against the veteran in the prior VA adjudication, and there was no new claim for these benefits until September 21, 2022.
- Claimed conditions
- lateral collateral ligament sprain, right ankle, lateral collateral ligament sprain, left ankle, bilateral plantar fasciitis
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 9, 2025
- Citation
- A25058881
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.
- Granted
The Board granted a separate rating of 10 percent for bilateral plantar fasciitis effective February 1, 2023.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an initial rating of 70 percent for the Veteran's service-connected depressive disorder due to another medical condition with depressive features and generalized anxiety disorder, denied a higher rating for his migraine including migraine variants, and denied ratings for other conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including bilateral plantar fasciitis, chronic pain syndrome, sciatic radicular pain of both legs, traumatic brain injury (TBI), shin splints of both legs, thoracic spondylosis, right shoulder strain, right wrist strain, acne, and allergic rhinitis.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings, as well as higher levels of special monthly compensation.
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