The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional examinations and opinions regarding his bilateral foot condition and degenerative arthritis of the spine. The claims are pending until further notice.
The deciding factor: The claims require clarification on the nature and etiology of the Veteran's foot conditions, as well as an assessment of his current back disability status.
- Claimed conditions
- hammertoe in the first and second digit of the right foot, bunion on the right foot, hallux rigidus of the right foot, gastroc equinus in both feet, inward displacement of both ankles, hindfoot valgus bilaterally, arthritic joints in both feet
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 1, 2019
- Citation
- 19124063
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,421 · Granted: 31% (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 19124063.
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 Board has remanded the case due to inconsistencies in the diagnosis of additional foot conditions and the need for an addendum opinion regarding whether these conditions are caused or aggravated by service-connected bilateral foot disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that updated medical records and new examinations are necessary to properly assess the Veteran's service-connected foot disorders, as his current treatment records date back to 2018.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to insufficient medical opinions regarding service connection for his foot disabilities. The Veteran is seeking service connection for bilateral pes planus, hammer toes, plantar fasciitis, hallux rigidus of the right foot, and hallux valgus.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's service-connected cervical and thoracolumbar spine disabilities, as well as his right foot conditions (Morton's neuroma and hallux rigidus), are being remanded for additional development including VA examinations to assess the current severity of these conditions.
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.