The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's pre-existing bilateral pes planus increased in severity during service and if it was clearly and unmistakably due to the natural progression of the disease. The examiner must also address whether the Veteran’s bilateral pes planus is proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected right ankle condition.
The deciding factor: The Board requires a medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's pre-existing bilateral pes planus and its relationship to service, specifically addressing whether it increased in severity during service and if it was clearly and unmistakably due to the natural progression of the disease.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral foot condition, pes planus
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 10, 2019
- Citation
- 19191752
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,084 · Granted: 20% (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 19191752.
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 Veteran's initial compensable evaluation for hypothyroidism is denied, and the Board finds that service connection for lumbar degenerative disc disease and bilateral foot condition should be remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claim for service connection of a bilateral foot condition due to lack of STRs and need for further examination.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis, finding that the Veteran's pre-existing pes planus condition was aggravated by service. The effective date is August 15, 2025.
- Granted
The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is granted as secondary to his service-connected neoplasm of the kidney with frequent urination.,Service connection for a left knee condition, an acquired psychiatric disorder (anxiety), and a bilateral foot condition are dismissed.
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