BVA decisions by condition
Hallux valgus: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2017 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a hallux valgus issue in 834 decisions. It granted the hallux valgus issue in 23.1% of them, above the 19.4% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 55.2%, and remanded it in 23.1%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 29.6% were granted.
Decisions
834
2017–2026
Granted
23.1%
All conditions: 19.4%
Granted on the merits
29.6%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
23.1%
Denied: 55.2%
Hallux valgus outcomes by year
| Year | Issues decided | Granted | Denied | Remanded | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 111 | 21.6% | 55.9% | 22.5% | 0.0% |
| 2018 | 129 | 16.3% | 57.4% | 24.8% | 1.6% |
| 2019 | 127 | 22.8% | 59.1% | 18.1% | 0.0% |
| 2020 | 130 | 28.5% | 57.7% | 13.8% | 0.0% |
| 2021 | 145 | 28.3% | 56.6% | 13.8% | 1.4% |
| 2022 | 83 | 25.3% | 41.0% | 33.7% | 0.0% |
| 2023 | 106 | 27.4% | 43.4% | 28.3% | 0.9% |
| 2024 | 138 | 20.3% | 54.3% | 23.2% | 2.2% |
| 2025 | 136 | 20.6% | 61.8% | 17.6% | 0.0% |
Each row counts issues (each condition the Board decided), so the shares add up to 100%. Other: dismissed, withdrawn or no clear outcome. Years with fewer than 50 issues are left out.
Evidence in granted and denied hallux valgus decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the hallux valgus issue on the merits when the decision mentioned it, compared with decisions that did not. These are associations, not causes, and evidence is recorded per decision, not per issue.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positive nexus opinion | 112 | 55.1% | 25.5% | +29.5 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 131 | 53.2% | 24.7% | +28.4 pts |
| Claimed as secondary | 87 | 39.0% | 28.9% | +10.1 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 239 | 36.4% | 26.8% | +9.5 pts |
| Treating physician opinion | 43 | 36.8% | 29.1% | +7.7 pts |
| Lay statement | 730 | 29.1% | 32.9% | −3.7 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 57.5% of the decisions that granted hallux valgus.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 28.0% of grants and 14.6% of denials.
Negative evidence in the record
An unfavorable exam or a negative nexus opinion often sits in the same record as favorable evidence, and the Board weighs them against each other. So these rows show how often hallux valgus was still granted when the record contained the negative item, not that the item helped.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Negative nexus opinion | 435 | 23.8% | 34.9% | −11.1 pts |
| Unfavorable VA exam | 705 | 25.8% | 52.1% | −26.4 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied hallux valgus
Most common reasons in grants
- Already at the maximum schedular rating18
- Current diagnosis established10
- Service connection established4
- Painful motion recognized under 38 c.f.r. § 4.593
- Painful motion under 38 c.f.r. § 4.593
- Caused by the service-connected disability2
- Separate rating warranted2
- Separate 10 percent rating warranted2
Most common reasons in denials
- Already at the maximum schedular rating111
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim44
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service33
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis23
- Service records negative or silent14
- Criteria for higher rating not met9
- No surgical resection of metatarsal head5
- Current diagnosis established5
Numbers are decisions that gave the reason. Reasons are short phrases extracted by AI from each decision; common wordings of the same reason are grouped. Benefit of the doubt is reported above.
Recent hallux valgus decisions
Granted
Restoration of 20 percent rating granted.; Reduction from 20 percent to 10 percent was improper.; Stabilization of rating requirements under 38 C.F.R. § 3.344 applied.
Evidence in approximate balance; Benefit of the doubt resolved in Veteran's favor; November 2024 nurse practitioner opinion found probative
Surgery contemplated by DC 5280 performed; Evidence supports rating from February 1, 2023; Separate rating warranted
Denied
STRs silent for foot conditions; Veteran testified no foot pain during service; Post-service diagnosis of hallux valgus; VA exam opined less likely than not related to service; Private opinions lacked specific diagnosis and rationale
Preexisting hallux valgus noted at enlistment; No evidence of aggravation during service; Delayed post-service treatment for chronic condition
No history of surgery with metatarsal head resection.; No severe hallux valgus equivalent to amputation.; Evidence did not meet criteria for compensable rating.
Rules that apply to hallux valgus claims
- 38 CFR 3.303
Principles of service connection
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.310
Secondary service connection and aggravation
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.102
Reasonable doubt (benefit of the doubt)
Read it in VA Law Explorer
Research your hallux valgus case
Narrow by year, judge, evidence or secondary condition, read the decisions, and export a research memo.
How these numbers are calculated
- Rates count decisions in which the Board decided a hallux valgus issue, by the outcome of that issue. Other issues in the same decision can have different outcomes.
- “Granted on the merits” leaves out remands and dismissals. “All conditions” is the grant share across every condition issue in the data.
- The data comes from CaseScribe's AI extraction of public BVA decisions (2017–2026) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.