The Veteran's claim for service connection for foot conditions (hammer toes, hallux valgus, and loss of longitudinal arch), to include as secondary to bilateral foot calluses, has been reopened. The Board finds that the evidence received since the June 2003 rating decision is new and material, thus reopening the claim. However, the Veteran's service connection for foot conditions remains remanded due to insufficient evidence linking her current foot conditions to her service-connected bilateral foot calluses.
The deciding factor: The evidence submitted by the Veteran does not provide sufficient information to establish a plausible link between her current foot conditions and her service-connected bilateral foot calluses, thus requiring further examination and evaluation.
- Claimed conditions
- hammer toes, hallux valgus, loss of longitudinal arch
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 15, 2019
- Citation
- 19103449
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,030 · Granted: 17% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19103449.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that there was a pre-decisional duty to assist error and requires additional development, including an addendum VA opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral foot disability.
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