The Board has remanded the claim for a VA examination to determine whether the Veteran's hallux valgus is a congenital 'disease' or instead a congenital 'defect', and if it is a disease, to provide an opinion on whether it was aggravated by any event or injury in service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the July 2014 examination report lacked sufficient detail regarding the nature of the Veteran's hallux valgus condition (whether congenital 'disease' or congenital 'defect') and its relationship to service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral foot/ankle condition, pes planus (flat feet), congenital ankle pronation
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 22, 2020
- Citation
- 20068706
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 denied service connection for pes planus (flat feet) and remanded several other issues, including service connection for various disorders and increased ratings for the right knee. The Board granted a 20 percent rating for right knee instability.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an initial disability rating of 30 percent for the service-connected chronic cough, denied a higher rating for bilateral plantar fasciitis, and granted service connection for pes planus and shrunken left leg condition, to include atrophy.
- Dismissed
The appeal concerning service connection for pes planus and a compensable rating for pseudofolliculitis barbae has been withdrawn by the appellant.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a low back disorder, bilateral hip disorder, pes planus, sinusitis, and arthritis as there was no evidence of current disabilities.
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