The Board granted service connection for right foot hallux rigidus and left foot hallux rigidus with arthritis, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are directly related to his in-service wearing of combat boots.
The deciding factor: The July 2024 VA examiner found that the wearing of combat boots likely caused the Veteran's hallux rigidus in both feet, and there is no evidence to the contrary.
- Claimed conditions
- right foot hallux rigidus, left foot hallux rigidus and arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- October 1, 2025
- Citation
- A25084836
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,963 · Granted: 32% (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 A25084836.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the inadequacy of a medical opinion regarding his claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for a right foot disability, as it did not address all diagnoses and causation aspects.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral pes planus, left foot hallux rigidus, and right foot hallux rigidus due to a duty to assist error.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for left and right foot hallux rigidus as the January 2024 VA medical opinion is found to be inadequate.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for compensable disability ratings for left and right foot hallux rigidus, equinus with tendonitis and arthritis. The evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of symptoms.
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