The appeal for service connection for bilateral flat feet was dismissed due to a claims processing defect, and the Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral shin splints was denied.
The deciding factor: The appeal for service connection for bilateral flat feet was not timely filed within one year of the June 2013 rating decision, and no extension or good cause was provided. The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral shin splints did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral flat feet, insomnia (secondary to service-connected disability), bilateral shin splints
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 14, 2025
- Citation
- A25088166
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 352 · Granted: 37% (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 A25088166.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
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.
- 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 appeals for service connection on multiple conditions have been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of the appeal.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for bilateral shin splints was dismissed as the March 2025 VA Form 10182 constituted an impermissible concurrent election with respect to the issue and no waiver of the prohibition on concurrent election was made.
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