The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral pes planus and deviated septum, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability or any increase in severity during service. The Veteran did not provide sufficient medical evidence to support his claims.
The deciding factor: There is no competent evidence of a current disability related to the claimed conditions, and the Board found that the pre-existing pes planus and deviated septum were not aggravated by service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral flatfoot (pes planus), deviated septum
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 28, 2026
- Citation
- A26007917
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 A26007917.
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 has granted an effective date of May 12, 2022 for the grant of service connection for a deviated septum.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty to assist error, requiring an addendum medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's bilateral flatfoot is related to his service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for chronic sinusitis and deviated septum due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors. The Veteran's current diagnoses of chronic sinusitis are supported by service treatment records, while his deviated septum claim requires further development.
- Granted
The Veteran's deviated septum, allergic rhinitis, GERD with persistent nausea, and migraines are all granted as service-connected.,However, the Board is remanding the issue of entitlement to service connection for a bilateral eye condition.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.