The Board has remanded the cases of flatfeet/hammertoes, left knee degenerative changes and degenerative joint disease, and right foot hallux valgus for further development. Specifically, a supplemental VA opinion is required to address the nature and etiology of the Veteran’s flat feet/hammertoes, and a new VA examination is needed to assess the severity of his right foot hallux valgus and left knee disability.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the VA examiner did not adequately address the Veteran's assertions regarding the onset of his flatfeet/hammertoes during service and did not provide an adequate opinion on the functional loss caused by flare-ups. The Board also noted that the VA examinations did not clarify whether range of motion testing was conducted in all relevant areas, including passive and weight-bearing motion.
- Claimed conditions
- flatfeet/hammertoes, left knee degenerative changes and degenerative joint disease, right foot hallux valgus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 9, 2019
- Citation
- 19153120
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,240 · Granted: 28% (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 19153120.
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's appeal was dismissed due to their death during the pendency of the appeal. The Board cannot issue a decision on the merits as they have no jurisdiction.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to errors in considering all conditions and a need for an addendum opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current right great toe / foot disability and his claimed frostbite injury.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed all appeals for service connection and increased rating claims due to untimely Notice of Disagreement submissions.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied as he failed to report for scheduled VA examinations. The TDIU claim was granted due to the combined effects of his service-connected disabilities.
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