The Board has remanded two issues: service connection for a headache disability and service connection for numbness in the feet. The Veteran's claims are being returned to VA for further development.
The deciding factor: The opinions provided by the VA examiner were inadequate due to their focus on documented injuries rather than considering the Veteran’s lay statements regarding his symptoms.
- Claimed conditions
- headache disability, bilateral foot disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 8, 2019
- Citation
- 19177522
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 service connection for bilateral foot disability, respiratory disability (breathing difficulty), cardiac disability (irregular heartbeat), and right hip disability as there was no evidence of a current disability or a link to active service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew her appeal for an increased rating for a headache disability, and the Board dismissed the claim.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a bilateral foot disability to obtain an addendum medical opinion addressing whether the Veteran's pre-existing pes planus was aggravated by service.
- Granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date of September 11, 2024 for the Veteran's headache disability based on continuous pursuit of her claim.
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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.