The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of right foot surgery, finding that there is no persuasive evidence to support a link between his current disabilities and an in-service injury.
The deciding factor: The service records do not document any injury or fracture to the Veteran's right foot. The earliest indication of a right foot disability appears decades after service.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of right foot surgery, osteoarthritis (right foot), hammer toe (right foot), sesamoid fracture (right foot)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 21, 2026
- Citation
- A26037263
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 A26037263.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain a new VA examination and medical opinion regarding her bilateral knee and foot disabilities, including bilateral plantar fasciitis.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a temporary total evaluation under 38 C.F.R. § 4.30 following right third digit hammer toe surgery performed on July 24, 2009 is denied as the surgery and recovery occurred prior to the effective date of service connection.
- Granted
The Board has granted a 30 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected residuals of right foot surgery, which is the maximum schedular rating available under Diagnostic Code 5284. The Veteran's Morton's neuroma was separately rated at 10 percent.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development and a travel board hearing.
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.