The Board has remanded the cases for further development, including issuing a SOC in response to the Veteran's notice of disagreement regarding his service connection claims and effective date claim. The issues of whether new and material evidence was submitted to reopen his low back disability claim, entitlement to higher ratings for bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis, and TDIU are also remanded.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the RO failed to issue a notification letter regarding the December 2016 rating decision, which would be necessary to authorize and finalize that decision. The issues were referred back to the RO for appropriate action.
- Claimed conditions
- Left and Right Heel Spurs, Left and Right Ankle Conditions
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 25, 2018
- Citation
- 18138487
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 18138487.
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.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Granted
The Veteran's major depressive disorder is found to be caused by his service-connected low back and radiculopathy disabilities, which prevent him from doing enjoyable activities and daily living tasks.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active service or any related exposure.
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