The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for left and right foot disorders due to incomplete examination findings and need for further clarification on the relationship between current disabilities and service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not address all of the Veteran’s foot diagnoses, including pes planus, which was noted on his entrance examination. The examiner also did not provide adequate discussion regarding the medical journal article about stress fractures leading to chronic pain if they do not heal properly.
- Claimed conditions
- left foot disorder, right foot disorder, bunions, osteoarthritis, degenerative joint disease of the first metatarsal joints, hammertoes, soft tissue calcifications, pes planus (both feet)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 13, 2020
- Citation
- 20002887
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 various conditions, including a head injury, headache disorder, erectile dysfunction, left earache disorder, chronic fatigue, right shoulder disorder, irritable bowel syndrome, right foot disorder, GERD, and left shoulder disorder, as the evidence did not support current diagnoses of these conditions.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew the appeal for all service connection and rating issues, and the Board has no jurisdiction to review these matters.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, right hip degenerative joint disease and rheumatoid arthritis with acetabular cyst status post right total hip replacement, osteoarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, hypertension, prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus type II, fever sores, and a compromised immune system, as the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for any of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for a VA examination to address service connection and rating issues.
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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.