The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for right foot hallux valgus (claimed as right great toe) due to insufficient medical opinions addressing the etiology of the condition and its relationship to service or service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's in-service complaints and current diagnoses need to be considered.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the prior VA examinations did not adequately address the Veteran’s in-service symptoms and their relation to his current right hallux valgus, as well as the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his gait and potential aggravation of his condition.
- Claimed conditions
- right foot hallux valgus, right great toe disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 19, 2020
- Citation
- 20074323
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,164 · Granted: 31% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 20074323.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to their death during the pendency of the appeal. The Board cannot issue a decision on the merits as they have no jurisdiction.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to errors in considering all conditions and a need for an addendum opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current right great toe / foot disability and his claimed frostbite injury.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed all appeals for service connection and increased rating claims due to untimely Notice of Disagreement submissions.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied as he failed to report for scheduled VA examinations. The TDIU claim was granted due to the combined effects of his service-connected disabilities.
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