The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a VA foot conditions examination. The examiner is to provide opinions regarding whether the Veteran's foot condition had its onset in or is otherwise related to service, and whether pes planus increased in severity during service.
The deciding factor: The Board has determined that the current opinions provided by the August 2010 and September 2017 examiners are not entirely sufficient to adjudicate the claim for a bilateral foot condition. The examiner is needed to provide more detailed opinions regarding the onset of other diagnosed conditions and whether pes planus had its onset in or is otherwise related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral foot condition, pes planus, hallux valgus (right foot), hammer toes (right foot), degenerative arthritis of the right foot
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 7, 2020
- Citation
- 20001161
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's back, right ring finger, and left foot hallux valgus disabilities but granted an initial 30 percent rating for pes planus from August 17, 2021, a 50 percent rating for pes planus from December 15, 2023, and a separate 10 percent rating for bilateral plantar fasciitis from August 17, 2021.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a back condition, numbness left upper extremity, allergic rhinitis, bilateral foot condition, BHL, ED, insomnia, and sinusitis. The only granted issue was service connection for hypertension.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a left foot disability to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error, specifically regarding an inadequate October 2024 VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board of Veterans' Appeals remands the claims for service connection for a back condition, left leg condition, and bilateral foot condition due to errors in the previous decision.
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