The Veteran's bilateral foot pain is being remanded for further development, including obtaining his service treatment records and providing an addendum opinion regarding the relationship between his current condition and service.
The deciding factor: The examiner’s initial opinion was based solely on the absence of in-service complaints without considering the unavailability of service treatment records and the Veteran's lay statements about the onset of his foot pain during service.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Foot Pain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 11, 2020
- Citation
- 20032692
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20032692.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral foot pain, finding that her pre-existing pes planus did not worsen beyond its natural progression during service.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for PTSD, sleep apnea, and bilateral foot conditions are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and bilateral foot pain due to inadequate examination findings, conflicting descriptions of in-service surgery, and need for additional medical records. The Veteran is currently unrepresented.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's request to reopen his claim of service connection for PTSD is granted, and he is now entitled to service connection for PTSD. His bilateral foot pain is also found to be incurred during service. The Veteran's TBI remains in dispute due to outstanding medical records.
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