The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right foot degenerative arthritis and plantar fasciitis due to a lack of an addendum opinion addressing whether his pre-existing conditions were aggravated during honorable active duty.
The deciding factor: The examiner needs to determine if there is clear and unmistakable evidence that any increase in disability was not due to the natural progress of the condition, considering the Veteran's lay statements regarding symptom onset and continuity.
- Claimed conditions
- right foot degenerative arthritis, right foot plantar fasciitis
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 18, 2020
- Citation
- A20018891
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 A20018891.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including a back condition, right and left lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy, neck condition, upper extremity radiculopathy, bilateral flatfoot, right foot plantar fasciitis, and right ankle pain, as the current evidence is inadequate to make a decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for sleep apnea, type II diabetes, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of both lower extremities, left and right knee disabilities, and left and right foot plantar fasciitis to obtain additional medical evidence.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for upper chest wall pain and right sciatic radicular pain, while remanding claims for secondary service connection involving the feet, legs, and ankles.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions and denied increased ratings for several service-connected disabilities, as the evidence did not support a finding of current disability or aggravation related to service.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.