The Veteran's claim for service connection for a headache disability is denied as there is no current diagnosis of chronic headaches and the Veteran does not have functional impairment that would qualify as a disability.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right ankle disability is denied because his current degenerative joint disease was not caused by or related to his active service. The in-service strain resolved without further treatment, and there is no evidence of chronicity post-service.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left foot disability is remanded as the Board did not obtain an examination due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right foot disability is remanded for similar reasons as the left foot disability.
The deciding factor: There is no current diagnosis of chronic headaches, and the Veteran does not have functional impairment that would qualify as a disability. The examiner found no evidence of chronicity post-service.,The in-service right ankle strain resolved without further treatment, and there is no evidence of chronicity post-service. The examiner noted that muscle strains do not cause degenerative changes.,There was insufficient competent medical evidence to make a decision on the claim for service connection for left foot disabilities. A VA examination is needed to address the etiology of the claimed condition.,There was insufficient competent medical evidence to make a decision on the claim for service connection for right foot disabilities. A VA examination is needed to address the etiology of the claimed condition.
- Claimed conditions
- headache disability, right ankle disability, left foot disability, right foot disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 15, 2019
- Citation
- A19001923
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,088 · Granted: 33% (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 A19001923.
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 regarding entitlement to service connection for a headache disability and entitlement to an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent prior to May 29, 2014, and in excess of 20 percent thereafter for right tibiofibular ligament strain are being remanded due to the need for additional development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection on the merits are being remanded due to new evidence and development needs. The maximum disability rating for tinnitus has already been assigned.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection and rating of left lower extremity radiculopathy, headache disability, and bilateral hearing loss due to an error in notifying the Veteran of her right to a pre-decisional hearing.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for left, right ankle disabilities, left and right hip disabilities, left and right shin splints, and left and right knee disabilities due to inadequate nexus opinions in the VA examination reports. The Veteran contends that her current disabilities are related to injuries sustained during basic 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.