The Veteran's claim for service connection for leg muscle cramps, which is secondary to his service-connected bilateral pes planus and degenerative joint disease of the feet, must be remanded due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's reported muscle cramps.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not provide sufficient detail in their opinions to fully evaluate the Veteran’s claim for service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- Leg muscle cramps, Bilateral pes planus, Degenerative joint disease of the bilateral feet
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- November 17, 2020
- Citation
- 20073571
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,156 · Granted: 29% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 20073571.
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: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral pes planus is not service-connected due to a duty-to-assist error, and remands the case for further examination and opinion.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claim for SMC(o) was denied as he could not receive multiple awards of SMC(l). The right shoulder bicipital tendonitis rating was denied, and the TDIU claim was granted.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral pes planus preexisted service and was aggravated by service, warranting a grant of service connection.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's bilateral pes planus with bilateral plantar fasciitis is rated at 50 percent disabling, which is the maximum schedular rating permitted for acquired flatfoot. The appeal is denied.
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