Foot Drop: VA Ratings, Claims, and Benefits

CCK Law: Our Vital Role in Veterans Law

Foot drop is a frustrating, debilitating foot condition that can impact a veteran’s social life, employability, and overall sense of well-being. However, since this condition is so often just a symptom of another health concern, it can be tough to earn a foot drop VA disability rating from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Common pitfalls for foot drop VA ratings include:

• Misidentifying which Diagnostic Codes apply (DC 8520 vs. 8521 vs. 5167).
• Overstating when SMC(k), A&A, or TDIU may be triggered.
• Confusing foot drop as a symptom versus a condition eligible for service connection.
• Incorrectly describing how VA rates peripheral nerve paralysis (complete vs. incomplete).

This article will guide you through the claims process so you can earn a VA disability rating for foot drop.

Key points in this article include:

• Veterans usually file secondary service connection claims for foot drop, since this condition frequently accompanies serious disorders like MS, diabetes, spinal damage, or neuropathy.
• Depending on the specifics of a veteran’s symptoms, their foot drop could be rated under several different VA diagnostic codes, including DCs 8520, 8521, 8524, or 8525.
• During a compensation and pension (C&P) exam for foot drop, a veteran might have to submit to X-rays, CT scans, or other medical tests to confirm they have the condition.

What Is Foot Drop?

Foot drop, also referred to as dropped foot, is a condition categorized by the veteran having difficulty lifting the front part of their foot. This can complicate tasks like walking, with the foot usually hanging down and dragging along the ground.

Some of the main symptoms of foot drop include:

• Frequent tripping or falling
• Limp foot
• Numbness
• Tingling sensation
• Limited muscle mass
• Loss of balance
• Difficulty wearing shoes

Foot drop is often caused by weakness in the ankle or the disruption of the nerve pathway between the legs and the brain. When the nerve messages between the leg and ankle muscles are not coordinated, the foot cannot lift to the angle necessary to walk. Often, foot drop is a symptom of another condition, such as multiple sclerosis, neuropathy, or a stroke.

A veteran with foot drop may need to use much more effort and energy to be able to walk. They may experience pain in the hips or back, the tightening of muscles, and impaired balance. Additionally, a veteran may feel unstable on their feet, and their legs may tire quickly. Foot drop is often a unilateral condition, meaning it only affects one foot, thus causing gait to be uneven and putting strain on the rest of the body.

Treatment for Foot Drop

Treatment may be used to help aid a person’s walking and treat their foot drop. Such treatment may include:

• Physiotherapy — Exercises may be prescribed to strengthen the muscles in the foot, ankle, and leg.
• Ankle-foot orthosis — People with drop foot may require the assistance of a splint, brace, or other assistive device to walk.
• Functional electrical stimulation — This form of treatment uses electrical impulses to trigger the nerves in the leg, foot, or ankle muscles to stimulate foot movement.
• Surgery — With surgery, a tendon from the other leg may be transplanted into the affected leg to help lift the foot.

How Can I Prove that My Foot Drop Is Connected to Military Service?

There are several types of “service connection,” including direct, secondary, and presumptive.

Direct Service Connection for Foot Drop

A foot drop VA rating requires three things:

• An in-service event, injury, or illness;
• A current diagnosis by a medical professional; and
• A medical nexus, or link, between a veteran’s in-service event, injury, or illness and their current diagnosis.

Learn more about how to prove these elements in the “What Evidence to Submit” section below.

Secondary Service Connection for Foot Drop

Arguably, the most common way to service connect foot drop is on a secondary basis. Secondary service connection can occur in the event that a veteran’s already service-connected disability causes or aggravates a non-service-connected disability. In cases like these, VA may recognize the secondary disability as being connected to a veteran’s service and compensate them accordingly.

For example:

• Say a veteran develops multiple sclerosis (MS) three years after being discharged from military service. Since this timeframe falls within the criteria for VA presumption for MS, VA recognizes the veteran’s MS as service related and assigns them a disability rating and compensation.
• Over time, the veteran’s MS damages the nerves within their body, until the veteran completely loses the ability to lift their foot, developing foot drop. The veteran’s private doctor provides their medical opinion corroborating this sequence of events.
• In this case, since the veteran’s already service-recognized MS was the cause for their foot drop, the veteran would be able to file a disability claim for foot drop secondary to MS. If their claim is successful, VA will grant them a foot drop VA rating and accompanying compensation.

Some of the conditions, injuries, or events that can cause nerve damage or otherwise put veterans at an increased risk of developing foot drop include:

• Alzheimer’s disease
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig’s Disease
• Cerebral palsy
• Combat injuries
• Diabetes
• Exposure to toxic chemicals
• Multiple sclerosis
• Muscle disorders
• Neuropathy, or nerve damage
• Parkinson’s disease
• Polio
• Spinal cord injury
• Spinal muscular atrophy
• Stroke
• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

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What Evidence Should I Submit for a Foot Drop VA Rating?

When applying for service connection for foot drop, the strength and relevance of the evidence a veteran submits can play a major role in the success of their claim. Veterans can improve their chances by including several important types of documentation:

• Service records – These can help draw a direct link between the veteran’s current condition and incidents that occurred during military service. Relevant examples include in-service medical evaluations, personnel records, discharge papers, and other military documents.
• Medical evidence – Comprehensive medical documentation is essential for confirming a foot drop diagnosis and outlining any treatments a veteran has undergone. These records might come from VA healthcare providers, private doctors, or written opinions from medical professionals familiar with the veteran’s condition.
• Lay statements – Personal statements—often called lay statements—from people who know the veteran well (such as family, friends, or coworkers) can help illustrate how the condition impacts daily life. While these accounts do not carry the same legal weight as official documentation, they can offer valuable context that may support the overall claim.

Relevant Laws and Cases for a Foot Drop VA Rating

Particularly for appeals, it can also be helpful to research the most relevant statutes and case law. For example, VA foot drop claims often rely on:

• 38 C.F.R. § 4.124a (neurological diagnostic codes).
• 38 C.F.R. § 4.63 (loss of use of foot).
• Case law such as Tucker v. West, Jensen v. Shulkin, Cummings v. McDonough, etc., depending on what is discussed.

An experienced, VA-accredited advocate or lawyer can help identify which rules, regulations, and cases are most relevant and what evidence will likely be most persuasive to VA.

Compensation & Pension (C&P) Exams for Foot Drop

If a veteran files a claim for foot drop, or paralysis of the sciatic nerve, VA may request a compensation and pension exam, or C&P exam. This exam will usually be performed by a VA physician or a VA-contracted physician and will play a large role in determining possible service connection and foot drop VA rating.

To schedule a C&P exam, VA may call the veteran or send a letter. It is very important to make sure VA has the most up-to-date contact information to ensure that the veteran does not miss any C&P exam requests. It is also crucial to attend the exam, as failure to attend can result in VA denying the veteran’s claim.

Before the exam, the VA examiner should review the veteran’s C-File. This will contain any documentation that has been previously submitted to VA, as well as the veteran’s medical and service records.

On the day of their C&P exam for foot drop, a veteran should expect something like the following:

• To begin, a physical examination is typically the easiest way to check for foot drop. The VA examiner will likely observe how the veteran walks, how much control they have over their foot, and if their leg, ankle, or foot muscles have any weaknesses or damages.
• Next, the examiner may ask the veteran questions about how their foot drop impacts their personal life, their employability, and their activities of daily living. They may also ask about any in-service events that could have caused or worsened the foot drop, as well as any treatments the veteran has previously undergone for the condition.
• If the examiner wants to rule out other conditions, they may also order medical tests to confirm foot drop. These could include tests like X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, blood tests, nerve conduction tests, or electromyography tests.

Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) for Foot Drop

A DBQ is a standardized form the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) uses to gather detailed medical information for processing disability claims, allowing veterans to use private doctors to complete it, which speeds up claims by providing specific, checklist-style evidence of a condition’s severity and connection to service.

• VA’s Foot DBQ
• Because VA has blocked access to DBQs in the past, CCK Law also hosts copies.

VA Disability Ratings for Foot Drop

VA rates disabilities based on severity, and ratings determine compensation and benefits. Depending on the specific symptoms of a veteran’s foot drop, it could be rated under one of four diagnostic codes found in 38 C.F.R. § 4.124a – Neurological Conditions and Convulsive Disorders. These four potential diagnostic codes are 8520, 8521, 8524, and 8525.

Of these four options, Diagnostic Code 8520 covers paralysis of the sciatic nerve, and is one of the codes by which foot drop is most often rated by VA. Michelle DeTore, a VA-accredited claims agent at CCK Law, describes the reasoning behind this:

“When we say ‘paralysis’, we’re not saying that you have to be completely paralyzed. We’re saying that there’s loss of muscle function. Sometimes you’ll see this in veterans who can’t lift their leg up naturally. They have to physically take their hands and pick their leg up, or they drag their foot, or there are certain movements of the leg that they used to be able to do that they can’t do now because of the sciatica.”

Ratings under this code can range from 10 percent to 80 percent, depending on the level of paralysis. The criteria for each rating are outlined below:

• 80 percent — Complete paralysis of the sciatic nerve. The foot dangles and drops, no active movement possible of muscles below the knee, flexion of knee weakened or (very rarely) lost
• 60 percent — Severe paralysis of the sciatic nerve, with marked muscular atrophy
• 40 percent — Moderately severe paralysis of the sciatic nerve
• 20 percent — Moderate paralysis of the sciatic nerve
• 10 percent — Mild paralysis of the sciatic nerve

While veterans with foot drop technically should receive an 80 percent rating based on the criteria outlined, the language used is also vague enough that there could be some variation in how veterans are actually rated under this code.

On the other hand, if a veteran is receiving a foot drop VA rating under one of the other three diagnostic codes, then they could be granted one of the following percentage ratings:

• DC 8521 (Paralysis of External Popliteal Nerve) – Ratings of 40, 30, 20, or 10 percent depending on severity of paralysis.
• DC 8524 (Paralysis of Internal Popliteal Nerve) – Ratings of 40, 30, 20, or 10 percent depending on severity of paralysis.
• DC 8525 (Paralysis of Posterior Tibial Nerve) – Ratings of 30, 20, or 10 percent, with 10 percent covering both Moderate and Mild paralysis.

What Is the Compensation for Foot Drop VA Ratings?

A higher foot drop VA rating results in larger monthly payments from VA.

As of 2026, the VA disability rate benefit amounts are as follows:

• 0 percent disability rating: $0.00 per month
• 10 percent disability rating: $180.42 per month
• 20 percent disability rating: $356.66 per month
• 30 percent disability rating: $552.47 per month
• 40 percent disability rating: $795.84 per month
• 50 percent disability rating: $1,132.90 per month
• 60 percent disability rating: $1,435.02 per month
• 70 percent disability rating: $1,808.45 per month
• 80 percent disability rating: $2,102.15 per month
• 90 percent disability rating: $2,362.30 per month
• 100 percent disability rating: $3,938.58 per month

Additionally, veterans who have qualifying dependents—such as a spouse or child—may be entitled to extra monthly compensation, potentially increasing their total benefit amount.

Can I Get Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) for Foot Drop?

Yes. A veteran can qualify for Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) for foot drop when the functional impairment meets VA’s criteria for loss of use of the foot. Foot drop often results from nerve damage, spinal conditions, or severe musculoskeletal injury, and it can rise to the level of loss of use when the veteran cannot effectively use the foot for balance or propulsion.

When Foot Drop Qualifies as “Loss of Use”

Loss of use of a foot is defined in 38 C.F.R. § 3.350(a)(2) and 38 C.F.R. § 4.63. VA considers a foot to have loss of use when no effective function remains, and when the acts of balance, propulsion, etc., could be equally well accomplished by an amputation stump with a suitable prosthetic appliance.

Key points from the regulations:

• 38 C.F.R. § 4.63 specifically lists complete paralysis of the common peroneal nerve (external popliteal nerve) with foot drop, trophic and circulatory changes, and other signs as an example of loss of use.
• Functional loss is determined on the basis of the veteran’s actual remaining function, not the anatomical condition alone.

Thus, a diagnosis of foot drop by itself is not enough. The question is whether the veteran retains meaningful functional use of the foot.

Relevant SMC Levels for Foot Drop

If foot drop results in loss of use of one or both feet, VA may award the following SMC levels:

SMC(k): Loss of use of one foot

• Granted under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(k) and 38 C.F.R. § 3.350(a).
• Pays an additional amount on top of the veteran’s schedular compensation.

SMC(l): Aid and Attendance or Loss of Use of Both Feet

• Loss of use of both feet qualifies for SMC(l) under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(l).
• Veterans with bilateral foot drop that functionally eliminates ambulation or weight-bearing may meet this level.

Higher Levels (SMC(m), SMC(o), and SMC(r))

• These require more severe combinations of loss of use, or the need for regular aid and attendance, or other qualifying combinations of disabilities.
• In rare cases of profound bilateral paralysis, spinal cord injury, or complete lower-extremity failure, the veteran may be eligible for these higher tiers.