BVA decisions by condition
Right foot disability: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2018 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a right foot disability issue in 526 decisions. It granted the right foot disability issue in 0.2% of them, below the 19.9% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 9.3%, and remanded it in 88.2%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 2.0% were granted.
Decisions
526
2018–2026
Granted
0.2%
All conditions: 19.9%
Granted on the merits
2.0%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
88.2%
Denied: 9.3%
Right foot disability outcomes by year
| Year | Decisions | Granted | Denied | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 60 | 0.0% | 13.3% | 85.0% |
| 2020 | 55 | 0.0% | 14.5% | 85.5% |
| 2021 | 63 | 0.0% | 9.5% | 87.3% |
| 2022 | 74 | 1.4% | 6.8% | 91.9% |
| 2023 | 80 | 0.0% | 12.5% | 82.5% |
| 2024 | 81 | 0.0% | 6.2% | 91.4% |
| 2025 | 53 | 0.0% | 5.7% | 94.3% |
Evidence in granted and denied right foot disability decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the right foot disability 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 | 152 | 8.3% | 0.0% | +8.3 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 205 | 5.9% | 0.0% | +5.9 pts |
| Lay statement | 466 | 2.6% | 0.0% | +2.6 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 108 | 0.0% | 2.2% | −2.2 pts |
| Combat service | 48 | 0.0% | 2.3% | −2.3 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 100.0% of the decisions that granted right foot disability.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 100.0% of grants and 14.3% 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 right foot disability 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 | 308 | 4.3% | 0.0% | +4.3 pts |
| Unfavorable VA exam | 417 | 3.0% | 0.0% | +3.0 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied right foot disability
Most common reasons in grants
Most common reasons in denials
- Criteria for rating higher than 10 percent not met1
- Did not chronically compromise weight bearing1
- Symptoms consistent with moderate bilateral foot injuries1
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 right foot disability decisions
Granted
Denied
Symptoms consistent with moderate bilateral foot injuries.; Did not chronically compromise weight bearing.; Criteria for rating higher than 10% not met.
Rules that apply to right foot disability 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 right foot disability 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 right foot disability 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 (2018–2026) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.