The Veteran's appeals for increased evaluations on tinea pedis and post-surgical scarring have been dismissed as the appellant has withdrawn his appeals.,The Veteran's appeals for increased evaluations on bilateral hallux valgus to include on an extraschedular basis have been remanded due to possible worsening of symptoms since the last VA examination in April 2012.,The Veteran's appeal for service connection for headaches, including as secondary to service-connected tinnitus has been remanded. The examiner is asked to determine if the Veteran’s headaches are related to his service-connected tinnitus and whether they have been aggravated by it.,The Veteran's appeal for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD and depression) has been remanded. The examiner is asked to determine if the Veteran experienced military sexual trauma during service and if he developed a psychiatric disability as a result of that stressor.,The Veteran's appeal for TDIU has been remanded due to possible worsening of his bilateral hallux valgus, which may affect his employment.
The deciding factor: The appellant withdrew his appeals for increased evaluations on tinea pedis and post-surgical scarring.,The Veteran’s symptoms have worsened since the last VA examination in April 2012. The examiner is asked to determine if this warrants a new evaluation.,The Veteran's headaches are currently assessed as tension headaches, but the examiner needs to determine if they are related to his service-connected tinnitus and whether they have been aggravated by it.,The Veteran has claimed that he experienced military sexual trauma during service. The examiner is asked to determine if this occurred and if it resulted in a psychiatric disability (including PTSD and depression).,The Veteran's bilateral hallux valgus may affect his employment, warranting further examination.
- Claimed conditions
- tinea pedis, post-surgical scarring, bilateral bunionectomies, hallux valgus of the right great toe, hallux valgus of the left great toe, headaches, an acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD and depression)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20004697
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 granted service connection for headaches and increased ratings for left shoulder rotator cuff tear, right shoulder rotator cuff tear, hypertension, and left and right leg restless leg syndrome. The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an increased initial disability evaluation of headaches due to an inadequate VA examination.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple disabilities, including cervical spine and thoracolumbar spine disabilities, radiculopathies, a bladder disability, headaches, a left knee disability, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and bilateral conjunctivitis. The Board also granted entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability.
- Dismissed
The appeals for restoration of ratings and for a higher disability rating were dismissed as the April 2025 rating decision did not make final decisions on these issues.
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