The Veteran's left and right foot disabilities are granted as service-connected, with the condition of allergic rhinitis also being granted due to aggravation during service in Southwest Asia.,Service connection is established for bilateral flat feet, which began during active duty service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's preexisting allergic rhinitis worsened during his service in Southwest Asia and was aggravated by environmental hazards/burn pits exposure. The left and right foot disabilities are presumed to have been incurred due to the Veteran's combat participation.
- Claimed conditions
- Left foot disability, Right foot disability, Allergic rhinitis
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 11, 2026
- Citation
- A26022085
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 A26022085.
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 Board has determined that there was a duty to assist error and remands the case for further development. The Veteran contends his allergic rhinitis began during service, but VA medical opinions have found no link between his current condition and service.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's appeal for an effective date prior to February 5, 2024, for a 10 percent evaluation of allergic rhinitis was denied. The Veteran also appealed for a higher rating for his allergic rhinitis and this was denied as well.,The Veteran's PTSD with TBI claim is remanded due to inadequate medical examinations.
- Denied
The Veteran's right and left foot disabilities are currently rated at 10 percent each, but the Board found that they do not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for GERD and allergic rhinitis was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent for GERD, as there is no documented history of recurrent esophageal stricture causing dysphagia requiring daily medications or dilatation more than once per year. For allergic rhinitis, the Veteran's symptoms were not severe enough to warrant a compensable rating due to lack of polyps and obstruction.
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