The Board has determined that additional development is required before the claims on appeal can be decided. The Veteran's lower back disability, which is not under appeal, creates intertwined issues that must be resolved prior to deciding the appealed issues.
The deciding factor: The Board found insufficient medical opinions regarding the service connection status of the Veteran’s degenerative disc disease and its secondary disabilities, as well as the need for new examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral pes planus, tonsillitis, hemorrhoids, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 25, 2019
- Citation
- 19132602
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for hemorrhoids due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, requiring an additional direct medical opinion.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.