The Board has remanded the cases due to incomplete service records and insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's foot and back conditions. The issues of service connection for bilateral flat feet and low back disorder are being reviewed.
The deciding factor: The decision is based on the lack of complete service treatment records, which have been destroyed by a fire incident. The Board has also found that the provided medical opinions were inadequate due to their reliance on the absence of in-service treatment records without considering the Veteran's credible lay testimony and separation examination findings.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral flat feet, low back disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 7, 2020
- Citation
- 20000983
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 appeals for service connection were dismissed due to untimely filing of the Board Appeal requests.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death while it was pending.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for a low back disorder to obtain additional medical evidence and ensure that the Veteran is afforded every possible consideration.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for a low back disorder was dismissed as the RO granted service connection in a November 2023 rating decision.
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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.