The Veteran's appeal involves the issue of whether he is entitled to service connection for a bilateral foot disability. The VA examiner found that his malunion/nonunion of tarsal/metatarsal bones was not aggravated by service, and did not provide an opinion on other diagnosed foot disorders.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner could not determine if any currently or previously diagnosed foot disorder is related to the Veteran's military service due to lack of information in the examination report.
- Claimed conditions
- malunion/nonunion of tarsal/metatarsal bones, metatarsalgia, hammer toes, hallux valgus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 20, 2017
- Citation
- 1712826
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 1712826.
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 denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hallux valgus, finding no competent and credible evidence linking her current condition to active service.
- Granted
The Veteran's left foot metatarsalgia is granted as secondary to his service-connected left foot Lisfranc fracture and other disabilities. The Veteran's TDIU benefits from December 1, 2023 are denied due to his employment as a government tax collector.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA examination, requiring a new one with a proper evaluation of the Veteran's foot disabilities.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for a higher rating and an earlier effective date have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal.
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