The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating for various conditions, including right and left foot disabilities, lumbar strain, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, TBI, left knee condition, right knee condition, and migraine headaches. The issues include determining whether pre-existing bilateral pes planus worsened during service and whether current plantar wart conditions are related to service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the VA opinion was inadequate as it did not address specific complaints of foot-related conditions during service or whether the Veteran's bilateral pes planus resulted in posterior tibialis strain. The examiner also did not address whether the Veteran’s current bilateral plantar wart condition is related to his time in service.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Foot Disability, Left Foot Disability, Lumbar Strain, Radiculopathy of the Left Lower Extremity, TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury), Left Knee Condition, Right Knee Condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 26, 2020
- Citation
- 20021751
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 20021751.
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 Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee conditions, finding that the Veteran's current knee conditions are more likely than not related to his military service.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for the claimed conditions as there is no persuasive evidence of current diagnoses or in-service incurrence or aggravation.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a right foot disability, finding that the evidence is at least approximately evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's post-service disability was incurred in service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the most recent rating decision on the merits, issued in October 2024, requires correction due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors. The claim for service connection for a right knee condition is being remanded.
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