The veteran's claim for additional vocational rehabilitation training is being remanded due to the need for updated medical findings and a review of his employment capabilities.
The deciding factor: The VA needs more current evidence regarding the status of the veteran's service-connected disabilities and their impact on his ability to perform the occupation for which he previously trained under Chapter 31.
- Claimed conditions
- right foot hammertoes, chronic low back pain from lumbar strain, chronic patellofemoral syndrome with laxity and limitation of motion
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 10, 2003
- Citation
- 0331105
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 0331105.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the veteran's appeals for service connection for various conditions, including foot and calf pain, hammertoes, hallux valgus, and cervical spine degenerative arthritis.
- Denied
The Board denied higher ratings for the Veteran's right and left foot hallux valgus and right and left foot hammertoes, as the maximum 10 percent ratings were already assigned.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for right and left foot hammertoes to obtain adequate medical opinions addressing all reasonably raised theories of service connection.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 30 percent rating for bilateral pes planus and denied higher ratings for left and right foot hammertoes, as well as compensable ratings for right and left foot hallux valgus.
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