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
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 880 · Granted: 26% (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 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.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claims for lumbosacral strain, asthma, melasma and hydradenitis, hypertension, an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as depression, anxiety, and stress), left shoulder disorder, right shoulder disorder, left knee disorder, a left foot disorder, and IBS have been granted. The remaining issues are remanded.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that side effects from prescribed medications contributed substantially and materially to his accidental motorcycle collision resulting in fatal injuries.
- Granted
The Board has granted an increase in PCAFC benefits to Level 2, finding that the Veteran requires continuous supervision or protection due to his cognitive decline and repeated falls.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied service connection for radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities prior to November 22, 2022.,The Board has also remanded the issue of service connection for a right foot disorder.
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