The Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic lumbar strain is being remanded due to the need for a medical opinion regarding its relationship to his service-connected left knee degenerative arthritis and/or bilateral pes planus.
The deciding factor: A medical addendum is required to evaluate whether the Veteran’s chronic lumbar strain is at least as likely as not related to his in-service incident, or proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral pes planus, chronic lumbar strain
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 1, 2019
- Citation
- 19115277
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 19115277.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple conditions, including an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep apnea, hypertension, and various musculoskeletal and skin disabilities.
- Granted
The Board granted a separate rating of 10 percent for bilateral plantar fasciitis effective February 1, 2023.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral pes planus and bilateral ankle disability, finding that the Veteran's preexisting conditions were not aggravated by his military service.
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