The Board has remanded the case for further development due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's claimed bilateral foot condition, which is presumed to be related to his exposure to tactical herbicides in Vietnam.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not provide an adequate opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that any current skin disorder involving the feet had its onset during service or is otherwise related to any disease, injury or event, including exposure to tactical herbicides.
- Claimed conditions
- blisters of the feet
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 18, 2016
- Citation
- 1620274
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 1620274.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for blisters of the feet and skin fungus were denied in a previous decision. New evidence has been submitted, including photographs, medical records, statements, and medications. The claims are being remanded to allow for further development.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral foot condition is unrelated to his military service, including presumed exposure to herbicide agents.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection due to a lack of evidence showing that his current conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining active duty and inactive duty for training dates from the Nebraska and Colorado National Guard, obtaining updated treatment records from the Vets Center, arranging for a VA psychiatric examination to determine PTSD severity, and arranging for a VA dermatology examination to determine if any skin disease of the feet began during or is causally linked to any incident of active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty for training.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.