The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and TDIU due to a lack of adequate consideration of certain issues, including the presence of hammertoes and painful scars. The Veteran is also entitled to a VA examination to determine the current severity and manifestations of her service-connected right and left foot hallux valgus with scars.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the previous decision did not adequately address whether the Veteran had any hammertoes or painful scars, which are relevant issues for determining appropriate evaluations.
- Claimed conditions
- Right foot hallux valgus status post bunionectomy with scar, Left foot hallux valgus status post bunionectomy with scar, Hammer toes
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 20, 2019
- Citation
- 19164695
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,612 · Granted: 16% (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 19164695.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied a TDIU for the period between January 9, 2020, and February 17, 2023, finding that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.,The Board also denied an earlier effective date for DEA benefits eligibility prior to February 17, 2023, as there was no evidence of a total and permanent service-connected disability before this date.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims due to conflicting diagnoses and insufficient evidence, requiring a new VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for a broken right foot was previously denied, but new and material evidence has been received. The Board finds that the claim may be reopened. However, further medical opinion is needed to determine if his current right foot disabilities are related to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disorder secondary to his bilateral foot disability, rating in excess of 30 percent prior to April 13, 2023, and total disability rating due to individual unemployability. The remand requires additional medical opinions on causation and aggravation of the back disorder, as well as a retrospective evaluation of the Veteran's bilateral foot disability.
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