The Board has decided that additional development is needed due to the lack of a clear opinion on whether the Veteran's current bilateral foot disorder is related to his military service. The case will be returned for further examination and evaluation.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not address an August 1979 service treatment record documenting the Veteran’s complaint of painful feet during his honorable period of service, which could affect the determination of whether the current foot disorders are related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral flat foot (pes planus), metatarsalgia, hammer toes, hallux valgus, degenerative arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 15, 2020
- Citation
- 20003614
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 appeal for service connection for a left wrist condition was dismissed due to concurrent election of higher-level review. The claims for an initial compensable rating for bilateral pes planus, and for service connection for hearing loss, neck strain, and dermatitis were denied.
- Dismissed
The appeal seeking service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, degenerative arthritis, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension was dismissed due to non-compliance with claims processing rules.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including obtaining outstanding Social Security Administration records.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for metatarsalgia, tinea pedis, and GERD.
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