“If you served in the military, one of the best things that you could have done is take good care of your feet. So, what happens if you have a condition like plantar fasciitis, or flat foot, or pes planus as it’s called, and you want to file a claim for VA disability?
“Hi, my name is Joe Scott, and I’m a VA disability attorney with Woods and Woods, a law firm based out of Evansville, Indiana, and we represent veterans all across the country.”
What is plantar fasciitis? What are flat feet?
“So, if you have a condition like flat feet or plantar fasciitis, what is that exactly?
“The plantar fascia in your foot is a connective piece of tissue that starts at the base of your heel and goes up throughout the remainder of the foot. Flat feet is a little more on the nose, in that it’s the literal flattening of the natural arch found within your foot.
“Why do these conditions matter? They matter because they can be debilitating and painful. We’ve had a lot of people who have had these conditions where they can’t really work anymore. They can’t attend to daily chores around the house. They can’t get up and exercise, which can lead to additional problems. They can’t go visit friends and family, all because the pain of these conditions is so significant that it precludes the life they once had.
“How do these conditions impact a claim for VA benefits? Typically, what you’d have to show is that something happened to you in service. And so many times therein lies the problem, because the VA will say, ‘Well, we’ve received your claim. We’ve reviewed all your records. We’ve looked at everything, but we don’t see anything concrete showing that something happened to you to where you would have the condition — plantar fasciitis or flat feet. So, we’re not seeing it connected to your service.’
“You may be thinking, I was in the infantry, standing guard duty, walking around in ill-fitting combat boots for years, for hours on end. How is that not related to my service? And that’s the problem that we’ll see with so many of our clients, that it’s not that one literal phrase within your claims file that says ‘probably has plantar fasciitis, probably has flat feet.’
“So, the VA uses that to deny your claim. That’s where we can help you. We have the legal expertise, and the medical professionals we work with understand how to develop evidence to understand how to extract evidence that’s already in your file, and how to get medical professionals to support your claim for disability.”
“Woods and Woods experience will give you the best chance to get what you deserve.“
Plantar fasciitis VA rating and flat feet VA rating
“So, on that note, let’s talk a little bit about the ratings themselves. What are the VA ratings for plantar fasciitis? Assuming that you get a grant, what would that grant be?
“It depends on your symptoms, and they go up incrementally the greater the severity. For example, if you have a condition that causes pain but is relieved by orthotics, you may get a lower rating than if you have pain regardless of whether orthotics are in place or not.
“Additional symptoms are also often considered like swelling, loss of range of motion, extreme tenderness to touch, and even just pain sitting as you naturally are.”
How our VA-accredited attorneys can help
“If you think you have a condition like plantar fasciitis or flat feet and you’d like to file a claim for VA disability, give us a call. I’m Joe Scott — thank for your service and thank you for your time.”
Talk to Us About Your Claim:
(812) 426-7200
Joseph Scott
VA disability lawyer
Woods and Woods
VA Accreditation Number: 50567
