The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for right and left foot disorders due to inadequate opinions regarding the onset of current diagnoses.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not provide an adequate opinion on whether the Veteran's current diagnoses are related to in-service bruising, which is a necessary component for direct service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Foot Arthritis, Right Foot Ingrown Toenails, Left Foot Ingrown Toenails
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 17, 2020
- Citation
- 20073775
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, right and left hip arthritis, right and left hand arthritis, right and left shoulder arthritis, cervical spine arthritis, and lumbar spine arthritis. The claims for right knee, left knee, right ankle, left ankle, right foot, and left foot arthritis were remanded.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical examination to determine if the Veteran's current neck strain is related to his in-service activities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD due to an inadequate medical opinion.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.