The veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for additional development, including scheduling an orthopedic examination and considering whether the left heel spur (for which he underwent surgery in August 2001) was part and parcel of his service-connected retrocalcaneal bursitis.
The deciding factor: The relationship between the veteran's service-connected condition and the need for convalescence benefits is intertwined with a separate issue regarding the nature of his service-connected disability. The VA must explore all legal theories, including those unknown to the veteran, by which he can obtain benefit sought for the same disability.
- Claimed conditions
- retrocalcaneal bursitis, left heel spur
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 15, 2004
- Citation
- 0409846
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,467 · Granted: 18% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 0409846.
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.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including residuals of a right forearm burn, left and right shin splints, chronic disability manifested by right toe numbness, back and right hip disabilities as well as left and right heel spurs. The most probative evidence shows that these conditions were not present during or due to her military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various foot disabilities, including pes planus, plantar fasciitis, Haglund's deformity, neuropathy, and heel spurs of both feet, to obtain additional evidence and a medical examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 30 percent for service-connected bilateral flatfoot with plantar fasciitis and left heel spur, as well as entitlement to TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the veteran's right ankle condition as secondary to other service-connected conditions.
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